CORRELATIONAL RESEARCH

What is correlational research

Research that measures the relationship between 2 co variables

What makes correlational research different to normal experiments regarding variables

Theres no independent or dependent variable, meaning no manipulation of variables

Where is the data plotted in correlational research

On scattergrams

How many types of correlation are there

3

What are the types of correlation

Positive, negative, and zero correlation

What is a positive correlation

Where both variables increase

What is a negative correlation

Where one variable increases and the other decreases

What is zero correlation

No relationship

STRENGTH - Can be used to investigate sensitive topics

Can be used to investigate sensitive or unethical topics

E.g. researchers may wish to explore the relationship between childhood trauma and mental health outcome which would be unethical to manipulate experimentally

This makes correlational research valuable, as it allows psychologists to study areas that would otherwise be inaccessible, increasing the range of knowledge in psychology

STRENGTH - Good preliminary tool before experiments

Good preliminary tool before experiments; they’re a useful starting point

If a strong positive correlation is found between stress levels and illness, this may justifiy further experimental research into whether stress directly causes illness

This means correlations can guide psychologists towards areas worth investigating in greater depth, making research more efficient and focused

WEAKNESS - no cause and effect relationship

No cause and effect relationship

If a positive correlation is found between time spent on social media and anxiety, we can’t conclude that social media causes anxiety, it could be the other way round

Reduces validity of correlations as they only show associations, not direct causal links, limiting the strength of the conclusions that can be drawn about relationships between variables

WEAKNESS - there may be a 3rd variable affecting both co-variables

There may be a 3rd variable affecting both co-variables

E.g. stress may cause both increased caffeine intake AND anxiety

The 3rd variable problem undermines the validity of conclusions