The correlation between two variables A and B is .12 with a significance of p

Question

The correlation between two variables A and B is .12 with a significance of p < .01. What can we conclude?
A)That there is a small relationship between A and B.
B)That there is a substantial relationship between A and B.
C)All of these.
D)That variable A causes variable B.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The correlation coefficient of .12 suggests a small positive relationship between variables A and B. However, the significance of p < .01 means that there is less than a 1% chance that this correlation occurred by chance alone, indicating that the relationship is statistically significant. This does not necessarily mean that there is a "substantial" relationship or that variable A causes variable B, as correlation does not imply causation.

The Correlation Between Two Variables a and B Is