What does a zero correlation show?

A zero correlation shows no relationship between the two co-variables. The points on a scatter diagram are scattered with no pattern.

Give one strength and one weakness of correlational research.

Correlations can study variables that would be unethical to manipulate, and show whether a relationship is worth testing. A correlation cannot show cause and effect, as an outside variable may explain both.

What kinds of research are correlations suited to?

Correlations suit research into whether two measured variables are linked, such as stress and illness. Correlations are useful where manipulating a variable would be impossible or unethical.

Edexcel GCSE Psychology 1PS0

Development

Topic overview Early brain development Piaget's theory of cognitive development Dweck's mindset theory and Willingham's learning theory The three mountains task and Gunderson's praise study The development of morality

Memory

Topic overview Information processing, duration and capacity Retrograde and anterograde amnesia Bartlett's theory of reconstructive memory The multi-store model, reductionism and holism War of the Ghosts and the Peterson and Peterson study

Psychological Problems

Topic overview Symptoms of depression and addiction Incidence and effects of mental health problems Explaining depression Explaining addiction Treating depression and addiction Key studies and the nature–nurture debate

The Brain and Neuropsychology

Topic overview Lobes of the brain and the effects of damage Lateralisation and Sperry's split-brain study Neurons, synapses and the central nervous system Phineas Gage and how brain research has changed

Social Influence

Topic overview Conformity to majority influence Obedience to authority Bystander intervention Crowd behaviour, society and culture Piliavin's subway study and the Stanford prison study

Criminal PsychologyOptional topic

Topic overview Operant conditioning and social learning explanations of crime Eysenck's criminal personality theory Punishment, recidivism and rehabilitation Bandura's Bobo doll study and Charlton's St Helena study

The SelfOptional topic

Topic overview Self-concept and influences on self-esteem Erikson's identity stages and belief in free will Rogers' and Maslow's humanistic theory Measuring personality and trait theory Vohs and Schooler's cheating study and Van Houtte and Jarvis's pet study

PerceptionOptional topic

Topic overview Depth cues, visual illusions and constancies Gibson's direct theory and Gregory's constructivist theory Perceptual set The Haber and Levin and Carmichael studies

Sleep and DreamingOptional topic

Topic overview Sleep stages and the sleep cycle Influences on sleep and sleep disorders Freud's theory of dreaming and activation synthesis theory Freud's Little Hans and Siffre's cave study

Language, Thought and CommunicationOptional topic

Topic overview Piaget and Vygotsky on language and thought Linguistic relativism and determinism Human and animal communication Non-verbal communication and Darwin's evolutionary theory The Yuki and Boroditsky studies

Research Methods

Topic overview Variables, hypotheses and controls Sampling methods Experiments and experimental designs Interviews, questionnaires and types of data Correlations, case studies and observations Ethical issues in psychological research Evaluating studies and the core areas of psychology Averages, calculations and graphs

Research Methods

Correlations, case studies and observations

3 things to know
Papers 1 and 2

Overview

Positive, negative and zero correlations and scatter diagrams, case studies, and covert, overt and naturalistic observation with checks on reliability.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started

Key term

What is a correlation?

Key term

What is a positive correlation?

Key term

What is a negative correlation?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
What is a correlation?
Model answer
A correlation measures the relationship between two co-variables. Neither variable is manipulated, and both are measured as they naturally occur.
2
What is a positive correlation?
Model answer
A positive correlation means that as one co-variable increases, the other also increases. Hours of revision and test scores might show a positive correlation.
3
What is a negative correlation?
Model answer
A negative correlation means that as one co-variable increases, the other decreases. Tiredness and concentration might show a negative correlation.
4
What does a zero correlation show?
Model answer
A zero correlation shows no relationship between the two co-variables. The points on a scatter diagram are scattered with no pattern.
5
Give one strength and one weakness of correlational research.
Model answer
Correlations can study variables that would be unethical to manipulate, and show whether a relationship is worth testing. A correlation cannot show cause and effect, as an outside variable may explain both.
6
What kinds of research are correlations suited to?
Model answer
Correlations suit research into whether two measured variables are linked, such as stress and illness. Correlations are useful where manipulating a variable would be impossible or unethical.

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