Final answer:
The statement is true; a positive correlation occurs when large values of one variable are associated with large values of another, and the same holds for small values.
Step-by-step explanation:
True or False: If large values of one variable match large values of the other, and small values of the first variable match the small values of the other, the correlation is direct, whether the values increase or decrease. This statement is True. When we talk about correlation in statistics, a positive correlation indicates that two variables move in the same direction. As the value of one variable increases, so does the value of the other and vice versa for decreases. Conversely, a negative correlation means that the variables move in opposite directions, meaning that as one variable increases, the other decreases, and vice versa.
The correlation coefficient, often symbolized as r, is a numerical measure of the strength and direction of this relationship. The coefficient ranges from -1 to +1, where values closer to +1 indicate a strong positive correlation, and values closer to -1 indicate a strong negative correlation. Values near 0 indicate a weak or no correlation.
An important point to consider is that a positive correlation does not imply a health benefit nor does it indicate causation between the variables. It simply measures the direction and strength of the relationship between the two variables.