Pearson’s Correlation

Coefficient (r)
7C – Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r)

https://youtu.be/-rusr-emp_k

Questions: 2, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13

Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient
• Numerical measure to how values cluster around a straight line.
• Only works if the data is numerical and the association is linear
• Uses the coefficient
Properties of the Coefficent
• Data that forms a perfect linear line are give the values of +1 (for a
positive line) and -1 (for a negative line)

• A value of + 1 or -1 is rare. Most data will fall between these two

point.
Examples
The stronger the association the closer the coefficient is to +1 or -1
Classifying the Coefficient
Determining the value of Pearson’s
correlation coefficient, r
• The formula for calculation r is:

Where and are the mean and standard deviation of the x scores and
and are the mean and standard deviation of the y scores
Correlation and Causation
• Just because there is a strong correspondence between two variables,
does not necessarily mean that one causes the other. It only says it
maybe the cause.

• Other explanations:
• The two variable were both affected by a third or fourth variable that weren’t
measured
• One of the variables was affected by another variable
• The association between the two variables is just pure chance
Examples
• Crime rate and unemployment
• Smoking rates and heart disease
• Eating Cheese and dying by becoming tangled in sheets