Quantitative Research Methods 1

Dr. Darby Hiller

Exercise #6 Interpreting Correlations (20 points)
Name: Veronica Wilkerson Johnson
1. Given the following correlation matrix (4 points)
Correlations of 4 test scores
Test 1
Test 1
Test 2
Test 3
Test 4
*p<0.05, **p<0.01

Test 2
0.87**

Test 3
0.68**
-0.22*

Test 4
-0.50
-.018*
-0.08

a. Interpret the correlations among all the possible pairs of tests in terms of
strength, direction, and generalizability. In Test 1: Test 2 shows a high increase
above the 0.01, and therefore does not constitute a strong relationship.. In
direction it is going up in magnitude. Because it is above .85, r is statistically
significant, so we can generalize the result from the sample to the population.
The same would be true for Test 3 with regard to Test 1. For Test 4, the result is
less than 0.05, so Test 4 constitutes a strong positive relationship, though it is
going inverse in direction. The result also is below the r threshold, so we cannot
generalize the sample from the population. In Test 2: Tests 3 and 4 show the
results are less than 0.05, so Test 4 constitutes a strong positive relationship,
though it is going inverse in direction. The result also is below the r threshold, so
we cannot generalize the sample from the population. In Test 4: there are no
data to draw upon?
b. If you wanted to use two of these tests in a pre and post test assessment of
gains made in College Algebra, which two tests would give you the most valid
information? Why? A correlation of Test 2 (-..018) and Test 4 would show gains
made in college algebra. The two variables are related, are statistically
significant, we can generalize the result from the population, and we can
quantify the direction and strength of the correlation.
2. Given the following correlation matrix (4 points)
Correlation Matrix

1. Income
2. Age
3. Savings rate
4. Vacation spending
5. Technology spending
*p<0.05, **p<0.01

1.
Income
-0.67**
0.73**
0.05
0.35*

2. Age

-0.82**
0.24*
-0.64*

3.
Savings

4. Vacation
spending

5. Tech
spending

-0.13
-0.79*

-0.31*

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Quantitative Research Methods 2

Dr. Darby Hiller
a. What is the relationship between savings and technology spending in terms
of strength, direction, and generalizability? There is not a relationship
between them.
b. As people get older, what happens to
i.
Savings rate The savings rate declines.
ii.
Vacation spending the vacation spending increases.
iii.
Technology spending technology spending decreases.
c. Of the three correlations in part b, which is the strongest significant
relationship? The weakest significant relationship. The strongest relationship
is age to savings. The weakest relationship is savings to technology
spending.
2. Running correlations in SPSS (12 points)
Open community.sav
Part I.
a. Run a correlations between these variables
87.AGE
86.INCOME

86. INCOME
87. AGE

Descriptive Statistics
Mean
Std. Deviation
42452.17
17345.643
53.03
14.996

N
460
497

Correlations

86. INCOME

87. AGE

Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
N
Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
N

86. INCOME
1
460
-.074
.116
455

87. AGE
-.074
.116
455
1
497

b. What is the mean AGE? The mean age is 53.03.

c. What is the mean income? The mean income is $42,452.17.
d. Copy and paste the corresponding correlation matrix into this homework
e. How would you interpret the relationship between AGE and INCOME with the
Pearsons r? There is a weak inverse correlation between income and age, due to
income being at -.074.
f. Is the correlation statistically significant? At what level? Because income is less
than 0.05, the relationship is statistically significant at a weak inverse level.

Quantitative Research Methods 3

Dr. Darby Hiller
Part II. Run a correlation between
87. AGE
86 INCOME
81. Education Level

86. INCOME
87. AGE

Descriptive Statistics
Mean
Std. Deviation
42452.17
17345.643
53.03
14.996

N
460
497

Correlations

86. INCOME

87. AGE

Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
N
Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
N

86. INCOME
1
460
-.074
.116
455

87. AGE
-.074
.116
455
1
497

Correlations
86. INCOME

Pearson Correlation
86. INCOME
Sig. (2-tailed)
N
Pearson Correlation
87. AGE
Sig. (2-tailed)
N
Pearson Correlation
81. Highest level of
Sig. (2-tailed)
schooling completed?
N
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

1
460
-.074
.116
455
.550**
.000
460

87. AGE

-.074
.116
455
1
497
.179**
.000
497

81. Highest
level of
schooling
completed?
.550**
.000
460
.179**
.000
497
1
502

Quantitative Research Methods 4

Dr. Darby Hiller

Nonparametric Correlations
Correlations
86. INCOME

Correlation Coefficient
86. INCOME
Sig. (2-tailed)
N
Correlation Coefficient
Kendall's tau_b
87. AGE
Sig. (2-tailed)
N
Correlation Coefficient
81. Highest level of
Sig. (2-tailed)
schooling completed?
N
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

1.000
.
460
-.092**
.005
455
.408**
.000
460

a. Select Kendalls tau-b for correlating Educational Level with both AGE and INCOME.
b. Copy and paste the corresponding correlation matrix into this homework
assignment.
c. Why do you need to use Kendalls tau-b? Kendall's tau-b establishes whether our
two variables are statistically dependent, and to what degree.
d. How would you interpret the relationship
i.
between AGE and Education Level. Since the correlation is significant at the 0.01
level, age and education have a strong statistical relationship in this correlation.

87. AGE

-.092**
.005
455
1.000
.
497
.133**
.000
497

Quantitative Research Methods 5

Dr. Darby Hiller
ii.

between INCOME and Education Level The same is true of the strong
relationship between income and educational level.

Part III. Choose two variables from the data file to run a correlation.
a. Copy and paste the corresponding correlation matrix into this homework
assignment
Interpret the correlation statistics

Correlations
86. INCOME
Pearson Correlation
1
86. INCOME
Sig. (2-tailed)
N
460
Pearson Correlation
-.105*
84.AGE GROUP Sig. (2-tailed)
.024
N
460
*. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).

84.AGE
GROUP
-.105*
.024
460
1
502

b.
i.
ii.
iii.

iv.

v.

Which variables did you choose? I chose Income and Age Group.
What was their level of measurement? I measured the Pearson
Correlation (bivariate).
Which correlation statistics did you run based on the level of
measurement of the variables? I ran the existing statistics from the
community chart to determine a relationship between the variables of
age group and income.
How would you interpret the relationship. From this correlational result, I
interpret that there is a weak inverse relationship between the age group
as a variable and the level of income. The result is statistically
significant, however, since -.105 is less than 0.05.
Is the correlation statistically significant? At what level? It is statistically
significant at a weak inverse level.