Final answer:
The scatter plot can show a positive, negative, or no correlation between education and salary. A strong positive correlation is indicated if higher education aligns with higher salaries, which aligns with the Bureau of Labor Statistics data showing higher earnings with higher education levels.
Step-by-step explanation:
The relationship between education and salary as indicated by a scatter plot can reveal whether there is a positive correlation, negative correlation, or no correlation. If the scatter plot shows that as education level increases, salary also increases, this would suggest a positive correlation. On the contrary, if higher education levels correspond to lower salaries, this would imply a negative correlation. However, if there is no discernible pattern and the points are scattered without any direction, then there would be no correlation. To quantify this relationship, we can use the correlation coefficient (r). A value of r close to 1 indicates a strong positive correlation, while a value close to -1 indicates a strong negative correlation. An r value close to 0 signifies a weak or no correlation between the variables.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics data from May 2012, there is a positive correlation between earnings and education, indicating that generally, as the level of education rises, so does the salary. This is consistent with the idea that higher education and training are associated with lower unemployment rates and higher earnings. Therefore, if the scatter plot in question is similar to the Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the answer would likely be A) Strong positive correlation.