Which of the following statements is correct regarding obtaining a correlation coefficient of zero?
A)Because there is no correlation, there is no need to examine the scatterplot.
B)If the scatterplot is curvilinear, that would further support the notion that there is no meaningful relationship between the variables.
C)If the scatterplot is curvilinear, that might indicate that there is a relationship, but that its nature changes at different levels of the variables.
D)None of these.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A correlation coefficient of zero indicates no linear relationship between the variables. However, this does not necessarily mean that there is no relationship at all between the two variables. If the scatterplot appears curvilinear, it might suggest that there is a non-linear relationship between the variables or that the relationship changes at different levels of the variables. Therefore, option C is the correct statement. Option A is incorrect because examining the scatterplot can still provide information about possible non-linear relationships. Option B is incorrect because a curvilinear scatterplot can suggest a non-linear relationship. Option D is incorrect because option C is the correct statement.

Which of the Following Statements Is Correct Regarding Obtaining a Correlation