Question

Which of the following statistics is used to compare two variables?

(a)mean
(b)correlation
(c)variance
(d)standard deviation

Answer 1

b, correlation

Step-by-step explanation:

correlation is the numerical value which compares 2 variables' associations, determining the form, direction, and strength between the variables

mean just means the average, which is usually determined from one variable

standard deviation measures the variation in a set of values, not really used for comparing

variance is taking the mean minus the actual value and squaring it, which doesn't help w/ comparing

Answer 2

(b) correlation

Correlation is the statistic used to assess the relationship between two variables, providing insights into their association and the direction of their changes. Unlike mean or variance, correlation specifically addresses the interdependence of variables.

Step-by-step explanation:

Correlation is the statistical measure used to assess the relationship between two variables. It provides insights into how changes in one variable correspond to changes in another. The correlation coefficient ranges from -1 to 1, where -1 indicates a perfect negative correlation, 1 indicates a perfect positive correlation, and 0 suggests no correlation.

Unlike the mean, variance, or standard deviation, which describe characteristics of individual variables, correlation focuses on the association between two variables. A high positive correlation suggests that as one variable increases, the other tends to increase as well, while a high negative correlation indicates an inverse relationship.

In situations where understanding the interdependence or connection between two variables is crucial, correlation is the go-to statistic. It aids in making predictions, identifying patterns, and informing decision-making processes based on the observed relationships.