In: Psychology
To test the following statistical hypothesis, which statistical test would you use?
Younger girls compared to older girls (1= younger, 2=older) score higher on self-esteem (total score ranging from 1 to 50).
Select one:
a. t-test
b. paired samples t-test
c. Chi-square
d. Correlation
(D) correlation
Correlation is a statistical technique that can show whether and how strongly pairs of variables are related. For example, height and weight are related; taller people tend to be heavier than shorter people. The relationship isn't perfect. People of the same height vary in weight, and you can easily think of two people you know where the shorter one is heavier than the taller one. Nonetheless, the average weight of people 5'5'' is less than the average weight of people 5'6'', and their average weight is less than that of people 5'7'', etc. Correlation can tell you just how much of the variation in peoples' weights is related to their heights.
Although this correlation is fairly obvious your data may contain unsuspected correlations. You may also suspect there are correlations, but don't know which are the strongest. An intelligent correlation analysis can lead to a greater understanding of your data.