1. Correlational Studies A way of establishing whether there is a relationship between two variables Assessing the strength of that relationship NB: unlike experiments, correlational studies do not tell you about causal relationships

2. Correlational Studies Measure the two variables to obtain two sets of paired scores NB there is no IV or DV NB there is no IV or DV Analyse the relationship by: Drawing a scatterplot Drawing a scatterplot Calculating a correlation coefficient Calculating a correlation coefficient

3. Types of Correlation Positive As one variable rises, so does the other As one variable rises, so does the otherNegative As one variable rises, the other falls As one variable rises, the other falls

4. Correlational Studies Research question: is there a relationship between stress and illness? Variable 1: scores on a stress questionnaire Variable 1: scores on a stress questionnaire Variable 2: number of days absent from college since September Variable 2: number of days absent from college since September H 1 : There will be a positive correlation between stress scores and number of absences

5. Correlational Studies Research question: is there a relationship between absence from college and final AS marks? Variable 1: absences Variable 1: absences Variable 2: final AS mark (Max 300) Variable 2: final AS mark (Max 300) H 1 : There will be a negative correlation between absences and AS marks

6. Correlation Coefficient A statistical method for assessing the strength of a correlation The sign (+ or -) tells you the direction of the correlation The number (between 0 and 1) tells you the strength