In determining the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, what is done if multiple observations within either variable have the same value?
A) As the data are assumed to be from continuous distributions, this will never happen.
B) The observations are ignored and the sample size adjusted accordingly.
C) The observations are given the mean rank of their positions in the ordered list.
D) The observations are arbitrarily assigned a rank in sequence.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

If multiple observations within either variable have the same value, the observations are given the mean rank of their positions in the ordered list. This ensures that each observation receives a unique rank and prevents any bias in the calculation of the correlation coefficient.

In Determining the Spearman's Rank Correlation Coefficient, What Is Done