J. Correlation and Regression

Are speeding out-of-towners ticketed more? Do teacher evaluations correlate with grades? Is brain size associated with intelligence? All of these questions and more are answered using methods of correlation and regression.

In this unit, you will learn methods for determining whether a correlation, or association, between two variables exists and whether the correlation is linear. If the correlation is linear, we can use that relationship to find the equation of a line that best fits the data. This line allows us to predict values that aren't currently present in our data.

You will need your calculator to enter in paired data. You will also be using Table A-6 in the Appendix to interpret the correlation coefficient, r, from your calculator. This table is not on the detachable formula sheet.