Researchers say that a correlation is significant if:
A)the dots appear to form a straight line on the scatter diagram
B)there is a small probability, such as 5% or 1%, that you could have obtained a correlation this big if in fact there had been no correlation in the population at large
C)the correlation is .05 or greater (or below -.05 if negative)
D)there is a large probability (.50 or larger)that this correlation is greater than that computed in standard tables of what is called the chi-square distribution

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A significant correlation is one where there is a low probability (typically less than 5% or 1%) that the correlation occurred by chance alone. This is typically determined through statistical tests that calculate the probability of obtaining a correlation this big if there was no true correlation in the population at large. Option A is incorrect because a straight line on a scatter diagram does not necessarily indicate significance. Option C is incorrect because there is no universal cutoff for what constitutes a significant correlation; it depends on the specific study and sample size. Option D is incorrect because chi-square is not typically used to determine the significance of a correlation.

Researchers Say That a Correlation Is Significant If