Which of the following is the WEAKEST correlation coefficient?
+.68 -.
72 +.
05 +.
12 -.06
The correct answer and explanation is:
The weakest correlation coefficient is +0.05.
Explanation:
Correlation coefficients range from -1 to +1, with values closer to -1 or +1 indicating stronger correlations, and values near 0 indicating weak or no correlation. The sign of the coefficient (positive or negative) tells you the direction of the relationship, but the magnitude (absolute value) indicates the strength.
Here’s how to interpret each coefficient in the list:
- +0.68: This is a moderate positive correlation. As one variable increases, the other tends to increase as well, but the relationship is not perfect.
- -0.72: This is a moderate negative correlation. As one variable increases, the other tends to decrease, but it’s not a perfect inverse relationship.
- +0.05: This is very close to 0, meaning there is almost no linear relationship between the two variables. This is the weakest correlation in the list.
- +0.12: This is a very weak positive correlation. There is a slight positive relationship, but it’s almost negligible.
- -0.06: This is also a very weak negative correlation, essentially meaning there is almost no relationship between the two variables, similar to +0.05.
The key point is that +0.05 is the weakest because it is the closest to 0, indicating almost no linear relationship between the variables being measured. The other coefficients represent at least a moderate or weak relationship, but +0.05 signifies the weakest possible correlation in this set.