correlational statistics

Definitions of correlational statistics

1. noun

   a statistical relation between two or more variables such that systematic changes in the value of one variable are accompanied by systematic changes in the other
   synonyms: correlation

   types:

   curvilinear correlation, nonlinear correlation, skew correlation

   any correlation in which the rates of change of the variables is not constant

   partial correlation

   a correlation between two variables when the effects of one or more related variables are removed

   direct correlation, positive correlation

   a correlation in which large values of one variable are associated with large values of the other and small with small; the correlation coefficient is between 0 and +1

   indirect correlation, negative correlation

   a correlation in which large values of one variable are associated with small values of the other; the correlation coefficient is between 0 and -1

   spurious correlation

   a correlation between two variables (e.g., between the number of electric motors in the home and grades at school) that does not result from any direct relation between them (buying electric motors will not raise grades) but from their relation to other variables

   first-order correlation

   a partial correlation in which the effects of only one variable are removed (held constant)

   type of:

   statistics

   a branch of applied mathematics concerned with the collection and interpretation of quantitative data and the use of probability theory to estimate population parameters