If two variables are each correlated significantly with the dependent variable, then the multiple correlation will be
A) the sum of the two correlations.
B) the sum of the two correlations squared.
C) no less than the larger of the two individual correlations.
D) It could take on any value.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When two variables are each significantly correlated with a dependent variable, the multiple correlation coefficient (which measures the strength of the relationship between the dependent variable and more than one independent variable) will be at least as large as the correlation of the dependent variable with the more strongly correlated independent variable. This is because the multiple correlation coefficient considers the combined explanatory power of both variables, which cannot be less than the explanatory power of the more strongly correlated variable alone.

If Two Variables Are Each Correlated Significantly with the Dependent