Meaning & use
correlation coefficient
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountabletechnicalmathematics
A number between -1 and 1 that measures how strongly two things change together and in which direction.
Grammar: Countable: you can say a correlation coefficient or correlation coefficients.
Patterns
- a correlation coefficient of something
- the correlation coefficient between something and something
The correlation coefficient between hours studied and exam scores was 0.82, showing a strong positive link.
If the correlation coefficient is near zero, the two variables have little linear relationship.
Researchers reported a correlation coefficient of -0.65, meaning that as one value rose, the other tended to fall.
Word forms
| plural | correlation coefficients |
|---|
Common combinations
- strong positive correlation coefficient
- A strong positive correlation coefficient suggests the two measurements increase together.
- calculate a correlation coefficient
- You can calculate a correlation coefficient with a spreadsheet function.
- near zero
- A near zero correlation coefficient means there is almost no straight-line pattern.
- statistically significant
- The correlation coefficient was statistically significant at the 5% level.
Synonyms and how they differ
- correlation
- This is the general relationship itself; the coefficient is the specific number that measures it.
- Pearson correlation
- This names one common type of correlation coefficient, used for linear relationships between continuous variables.
Word family
- correlate verb
- To have a relationship or to show that two things are connected.
- correlated adjective
- Describing two things that are connected in a statistical way.
- correlation noun
- A connection or relationship between two sets of data.
Commonly confused: correlation coefficient or coefficient?
correlation coefficient vs coefficient
A coefficient is simply a number multiplied by a variable in math; a correlation coefficient is a specific statistical measure.
Practice
A correlation coefficient of -0.9 between two variables means that:
Choose one answer.
A value near -1 shows a strong negative relationship, so as one goes up the other tends to go down. A value near 0 would mean little relationship, and correlation never proves causation.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “correlation coefficient”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.