Correlations Loretta Kunch Capella University Master of Psychology Spring 2009

Problem Statement

Section II, III, and IV Assumptions, Data Screening, and Verification of Assumptions, Inferential Procedure, Hypotheses, Alpha Level, Interpretation
The measurement scales include Correlations, Scatterplots and Subgroup comparisons. The Correlations graph illustrates the relationship between variables, the Scatterplot graph easily displays those relationships, and the Subgroups graph illustrates the distinction between both male and female datasets. Each graph illustrates the date in visual, easily to understand, relationships between the data variables. The data assumes that there is a relationship between the IQ, GPA and English scores of the male/female datasets. This data does not identify age, education levels, or prerequisite data. Comparing specific age groups, academic levels and prerequisites provides a sound population sample to measure. Outliers include sample population that falls outside of the age, education level, and background of candidates. For example, scoring a 21year old Academic honors student with an elderly person who has been void of academics for decades or inner-city versus suburban datasets can produce outliers that may skew results. The key is to measure the same demographics. The graphs illustrate a positive correlation between IQ and GPA. Specifically, the male subjects score higher in proportion to IQ and GPA over the females. Does this measure accurately identify data from within the same age group, academic level, and demographics? I would advance the position that it does not. The null hypothesis attempts to show that no variation exists between variables or does so by chance. In this instance, although IQ and GPA produce a positive correlation, the variation between both male and female samples illustrates a variance. Specifically, the same numbers of male and female subjects were not measured. Alpha is the probability of making a Type I error (rejecting the null hypothesis when the null hypothesis is true). The alpha level is defined as the probability of what is called a Type I error in statistics. That is the probability of rejecting H0 when in fact it was true. Now, why should we select an alpha level of .05? If we are really worried about the possibility that we will reject H0 when it is true, then why don't we use a smaller alpha level like .01 or even .001? That would minimize the change that we would incorrectly reject H0. The thing is that there is another error we could make (which statisticians call a Type II error). That is the error of not rejecting H0 when it is false. If you think about it, the stricter the criterion you set for rejecting H0 (i.e., the smaller the alpha level), the more likely it is that there will be cases where you should reject H0, but you don't. The exact probability of a Type II error (failing to reject H0 when it is actually false) cannot be determined just from the alpha level. There is other information you need (which is not important here). The main thing is that as you set a more stringent (smaller) alpha level, like .01 or .001, (which decreases the probability of making a Type I error) you increase the likelihood of making a Type II error. Past experience has suggested that an alpha level of .05 is a good compromise between the likelihoods of making Type I and Type II errors (Thorndyke, E.L., 2009).

Results

Section I - Data File Description

The source of this Database is from the Inferential Statistics SPSS Course The story for this context of data primarily compares scores from male and female participants across measures for IQ, GPA, and English Grades. A correlation statistical analysis is generated from the Dataset. The measurement scales include Correlations, Scatterplots and Subgroup comparisons. Variables include: ADDSC, Gender, Repeat, IQ, ENGL, ENGG, GPA, Socprob, Dropout ** The X variable is the GPA correlated with IQ Pearson: The Pearson Product Correlation Coefficient is the most widely used measure of correlation. IQ GPA ADDSC IQ 1 .497 -.632 GPA .497 1 -.615 ADDSC -.632 -.615 1 Point Biserial: The biserial correlation is a measure of association between a continuous variable and a binary variable. It is constrained to be between -1 and +1. IQ or GPA or ADDSC with Sex, Repeat, Socprob, Dropout Sex Repeat IQ .093 -.282 GPA .332 -.150 ADDSC -.176 .404

Socprob -.265 -.030 .371

Dropout -.301 -.201 .380

PHI: Sex, Repeat, Socprob, Dropout with each other Sex Repeat Socprob Dropout Sex 1 -.171 -.055 -.055 Repeat -.171 1 .171 .484 Socprob -.055 .171 1 .436 Dropout -.055 .484 .436 1 Spearman: ENGL with ENGG = -.287

The number of cases (sample size). The sample size is totals 88: 55 men and 33 women

Correlations
addsc gender repeat addsc Pearson Correlation Sig. (2-tailed) N 88 1
**

iq
**

engl
**

engg
**

-.176 .404 -.632 .100 88 .000 88

.360 -.478 .001 88

*

.000 88

.000 88
**

gender Pearson Correlation -.176 Sig. (2-tailed) N repeat .100 88

**

1 -.171 .111 88 -.171 .111 88 88

**

.093 -.248 .306 .387 88

**

.020 88

.004 88

88

Pearson Correlation .404 Sig. (2-tailed) N

1 -.282

.098 -.173 .362 88

*

.000 88
**

.008 88

.107 88
**

iq

Pearson Correlation -.632 Sig. (2-tailed) N

.093 -.282 .387 88 -.248

*

1 -.235 .370 .027 88

*

.000 88
**

.008 88

.000 88
**

88

engl

Pearson Correlation .360 Sig. (2-tailed) N

.098 -.235 .362 88

1 -.287

.001 88
**

.020 88 .306
**

.027 88
**

.007 88
**

88 1

engg

Pearson Correlation -.478 Sig. (2-tailed) N

-.173 .370 -.287 .107 88 .000 88

**

.000 88
**

.004 88 .332
**

.007 88
**

88 .839
**

gpa

Pearson Correlation -.615 Sig. (2-tailed) N

-.150 .497 -.380 .162 88 .000 88

*

.000 88
**

.002 88 -.055 .608 88

.000 88 .169 .116 88

.000 88 .016 .885 88

*

socprob Pearson Correlation .371 Sig. (2-tailed) N

.171 -.265 .112 88

**

.000 88
**

.013 88
**

dropout Pearson Correlation .380 Sig. (2-tailed) N

-.055 .484 -.301 .608 88 .000 88

.100 -.213 .353 88

.000 88

.004 88

.046 88

**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). *. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).

gpa socprob dropout addsc Pearson Correlation -.615 Sig. (2-tailed) N

**

.371

**

.380

**

.000 88
**

.000 88 -.055 .608 88 .171 .112 88 -.265

*

.000 88 -.055 .608 88 .484

**

gender Pearson Correlation .332 Sig. (2-tailed) N repeat

.002 88

Pearson Correlation -.150 Sig. (2-tailed) N .162 88

**

.000 88 -.301
**

iq

Pearson Correlation .497 Sig. (2-tailed) N

.000 88
**

.013 88 .169 .116 88 .016 .885 88 -.030 .780

.004 88 .100 .353 88 -.213

*

engl

Pearson Correlation -.380 Sig. (2-tailed) N

.000 88
**

engg

Pearson Correlation .839 Sig. (2-tailed) N

.000 88 1

.046 88 -.201 .061 88 .436

**

gpa

Pearson Correlation Sig. (2-tailed) N

88

88 1

socprob Pearson Correlation -.030 Sig. (2-tailed) N .780 88

.000 88 .436
**

88 1

dropout Pearson Correlation -.201 Sig. (2-tailed) N .061 88

.000 88 88

**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). *. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).

Graph

Correlations
gender = Male
iq iq Pearson Correlation Sig. (2-tailed) N gpa Pearson Correlation Sig. (2-tailed) N 55 .442
**

gpa 1 .442
**

.001 55 1

.001 55 55

**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). a. gender = Male

gender = female
iq iq Pearson Correlation Sig. (2-tailed) N gpa Pearson Correlation Sig. (2-tailed) N 33 .589
**

gpa 1 .589
**

.000 33 1

.000 33 33

**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). a. gender = female

References

Thorndyke, E.L.(2009). Alpha Levels. Retrieved May 14, 2009 from, http://homepage.psy.utexas.edu/homepage/Faculty/Markman/PSY418/Questions/alpha.html