Question

Correlations are measured by a statistic called 'correlation coefficients.' They range in scores from +1.0 to -1.0, with 0 in the middle. If you were to gather data on 100 YVCC students, which of the following pairs of data would you expect to have the lowest correlation? (I.e., closest to zero.)

A) Height and shoe size
B) Age and favorite color
C) GPA and hours of sleep
D) Distance from campus and number of siblings

Answer 1

Among the options provided, Age and favorite color would be expected to have the lowest correlation, as they are least likely to be related.

Step-by-step explanation:

When examining pairs of data to determine which would have the lowest correlation, or the correlation closest to zero, we're looking for variables that are the least related to each other. Among the choices provided:

• Height and shoe size typically have a positive correlation because taller individuals often have larger feet.
• Age and favorite color are generally unrelated and would likely show little to no correlation.
• GPA and hours of sleep may have a positive or negative correlation, as adequate rest could correlate with better academic performance or, conversely, students with lower GPAs might have poorer sleep habits.
• Distance from campus and number of siblings are also unlikely to be related, as the distance one lives from campus should not be influenced by how many siblings one has.

Considering the options, the pair Age and favorite color is expected to have the lowest correlation, closest to zero, because these two variables do not have an apparent relationship with one another.