Which of the following statements is correct concerning correlation coefficients?
A) A correlation of +.89 is strong and -.89 is weak.
B) A correlation of +.89 and -.89 are both strong and equally so.
C) Correlation coefficients are indicators of cause and effect.
D) A correlation of +1.5 is very strong

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A correlation of +.89 and -.89 are both strong, as they are close to +1 and -1, which represent a perfect positive and perfect negative correlation, respectively. However, they are not equally so, as a positive correlation indicates that as one variable increases, so does the other, while a negative correlation indicates that as one variable increases, the other decreases. Correlation coefficients do not indicate cause and effect, they only show the strength and direction of the relationship between variables. A correlation coefficient cannot exceed +1 or -1, so a correlation of +1.5 is impossible.

Which of the Following Statements Is Correct Concerning Correlation Coefficients