Question

3 doctoral students are using correlational research designs for their dissertation research. When all of the work is done, Marilyn's data yielded a correlation of r = 0.80, Tom's data had r = 0.45, and Lisa's data had r = 0.65. Which student's data shows the strongest correlation?

a) Marilyn
b) Tom
c) Lisa
d) The strength of the correlations cannot be determined from the information given.

Answer 1

The correct answer is option a) Marilyn. Marilyn's data shows the strongest correlation with a coefficient of r = 0.80, indicating a strong positive linear relationship between the variables she studied.

Step-by-step explanation:

A correlation coefficient, r, is used to measure the strength and direction of a linear relationship between two variables. Correlations range from -1 to +1, with -1 indicating a perfect negative linear relationship, +1 indicating a perfect positive linear relationship, and 0 indicating no linear relationship. Therefore, the value that is closest to either extreme indicates the strongest correlation. Marilyn's data yielded a correlation of r = 0.80, which is closest to +1 and thus represents the strongest correlation among the three students, compared to Tom's r = 0.45 and Lisa's r = 0.65. This means Marilyn's variables have a stronger positive linear relationship.

The correlation coefficient, also known as the correlation, tells us about the strength and direction of the relationship between two variables. The closer the correlation coefficient is to 1 or -1, the stronger the relationship. In this case, Marilyn's data yielded a correlation coefficient of r = 0.80, which is closer to 1 than the other correlation coefficients. Therefore, Marilyn's data shows the strongest correlation.