Correlation Statistics Example 2

Follow the full solution, then compare it with the other examples linked below.

Example 2

medium
Classify each as positive correlation, negative correlation, or no correlation: (a) Temperature and ice cream sales. (b) Shoe size and IQ. (c) Hours of TV watched and exercise done.

Solution

  1. 1
    Step 1: (a) As temperature rises, ice cream sales tend to rise — positive correlation.
  2. 2
    Step 2: (b) There is no consistent relationship between shoe size and IQ — no correlation.
  3. 3
    Step 3: (c) As TV hours increase, exercise tends to decrease — negative correlation.

Answer

(a) Positive, (b) No correlation, (c) Negative.
Recognising the direction of correlation helps us understand relationships between variables: positive (both increase), negative (one increases as the other decreases), or none (no pattern).

About Correlation

Correlation is a statistical relationship between two variables where changes in one are associated with changes in the other. Positive correlation means both increase together; negative correlation means one increases as the other decreases; no correlation means no consistent pattern.

Learn more about Correlation →

More Correlation Examples

Example 1 medium

A scatter plot shows that as hours of study increase, test scores tend to increase. Describe the cor

Example 3 medium

A study finds a strong positive correlation between the number of firefighters at a fire and the dam

Example 4 medium

A scatter plot shows that as outside temperature increases, hot chocolate sales decrease. Describe t

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