How can you determine the direction of the relationship in a correlation?

How can you determine the direction of the relationship in a correlation?

• A. The p-value determines direction
• B. The intercept determines direction
• C. The magnitude of the correlation determines direction
• D. Positive sign means positive correlation, negative sign means negative correlation

Answer: (D)

The direction of a relationship is shown by the sign of the correlation coefficient. A positive sign means that as one variable increases, the other tends to increase as well; a negative sign means that as one variable increases, the other tends to decrease. The magnitude tells how strong the linear relationship is, not its direction. The p-value indicates whether the observed relationship could occur by chance under no relationship, but it doesn’t specify direction. The intercept comes from regression and represents the expected value when the other variable is zero, not the direction of association. So, the sign of the correlation directly conveys whether the relationship is positive or negative.

The direction of a relationship is shown by the sign of the correlation coefficient. A positive sign means that as one variable increases, the other tends to increase as well; a negative sign means that as one variable increases, the other tends to decrease. The magnitude tells how strong the linear relationship is, not its direction. The p-value indicates whether the observed relationship could occur by chance under no relationship, but it doesn’t specify direction. The intercept comes from regression and represents the expected value when the other variable is zero, not the direction of association. So, the sign of the correlation directly conveys whether the relationship is positive or negative.