CORRELATIONAL

DESIGN
EMMANUEL TAIWO
KIERAN FAW

Outline
10 - 15 minutes Review of Chapter
10 minutes review of selected
articles related to research interests
15 minutes class discussion/activity
5 minutes post-test on correlational
design

Review of Chapter
Correlation can be
defined as the statistical test
used to determine the
tendency or pattern for two (or
more) variables or sets of data
to vary consistently (Creswell,
2012).

Definition:

Example: If a score of an English

test depends on the number of
hours spent studying then we can
say that there is a correlation
between the test score and
number of hours spent on
studying

What is Correlation Design

This design helps to predict score
and explain the relationship
among variables. We dont
attempt to control or manipulate
the variable rather we try to see
the link, degree of association,
between point A and point B

We use this design when we

want to relate two or more
variables to see if they
influence each other
For example
The relationship between self-esteem and test
performance
The relationship between audience members' opinions
of a movie and their mood

Types of Correlational Designs

Explanatory Design:
used when the researcher is interested to know the extent
to which two or more variables co-vary, i.e. if damage in one
would be reflected in the order
ex: loneliness suicide
Prediction Design:
used when the researcher try to predict outcome using
certain variables as predictors
useful to predict or foretell a future behavior
ex: parent with little or no education might be reluctant
to send their kids to school.

Characteristics of Correlational
Designs
Display of scores: Usually on a graph or scatterplots

Association between scores:

Positive (+): Exam result, hours spent on revision X Y

Negative (-): Grade Point Average, drinks per week XY

Multiple variable analysis: This is

used when more than one variable
are used to predict scores or
behavior. Such as; motivation,
achievement and time on task

X: motivation, Y: achievement, Z: time on task

Degree & Strength of Association

Degree of association is the correlation between two variables or sets of
scores from correlation coefficient of -1.00 to +1.00 while 0.00 means no
linear correlation at all.
.20-.35: shows there is a slight correlation, usually used to explore
interconnection between variables but cant be used in prediction studies
.35-.65: Its said to be useful for limited prediction and also to know
the relationship between variables within a scale
.66-.85: shows a good prediction of one variable on the other
.86 and above: Usually used for construct validity and test-retest
reliability. Usually achieved when two variables are related.

Step for Conducting a

Correlational Study
Step 1: Determine if a Correlational Study Best Addresses the Research
Problem
Step 2: Identify Individuals to Study
Step 3: Identify Two or More Measures for Each Individual in the Study
Step 4: Collect Data and Monitor Potential Threats
Step 5: Analyze the Data and Represent the Results
Step 6: Interpret the Results

How do you Evaluate?

To evaluate and assess the quality of a good correlational
study, we must evaluate in terms of the strength of:
Data collection
Adequate sample size
Analysis
Good presentations in graphs and matrices
Clear Procedures
Interpretation
The relationship(s) among variables

Example of a Correlational Study from

Creswell
TOPIC: The Influence of Parental Attachment on the College
Adjustment of White, Black, and Latino/Hispanic Women: A
Cross-cultural Investigation.
Purpose: The study examined the potential relationship
between attachment patterns and college adjustment among a
diverse sample of women attending a diverse urban commuter
college.
Adjustment was defined as remaining in college, enjoying
psychological well being, and performing well academically
while college retention was defined as a complex web of
events that shape student leaving and persistence

Methods
95 Female College Students
i. 24 whites
ii. 27 black
iii. 44 were Latina/Hispanic
They were aged between 17 to 25.

Hypotheses were:
i.

Scores on college adjustment will be influenced by the variables of

race and parental college education. More specifically, White students
will report higher college adjustment score than their non- White peers.

ii.

Parental attachment will influence score on college adjustment

iii. Race and parental attachment combined will provide the best model for
predicting college attachment.

Result

Hispanic students
whose parents
offered support
performed better

none of the
demographic
variables assessed
influence college
attachment (negative
correlation
Among white and
black students, there
was a significant
correlation between
affective quality and
academic
adjustment.

Hypothesis 2
and 3 were
slightly
supported

Limitation of the research

It relied on self-report measures for its data.
It lacks random sampling
It lacks information on SES, parental occupation, financial resources in
paying for college, language spoken at home, years of living in US and
social support network

Kierans Thesis Interest Area:

Social Media in Education
I am interested in looking if there is a
relationship between the amount of time spent
online and the amount of risk perceived*.
* For example students may have a high level of TPCK and therefore do not perceive risks to
be of importance. Parents on the other hand, who are not spending as much time online, may
be have unrealistic fears and misconceptions of actual risks (feed my the media)

Thesis Related Article

Effect of Online Social Networking on

Student Academic Performance
By: Jomon Aliyas Paul

Paul, Jomon Aliyas. Effect of Online Social Networking on Student Academic Performance.
Computers in Human Behavior 28, no. 6 (November 1, 2012): 21172127.

Effect of Online Social Networking on

Student Academic Performance
By: Jomon Aliyas Paul

This study due to the rise in questions about

the impact of Online Social Networks
(OSNs) on academic performance and the
possibility of using it as an effective
teaching tool
Paul, Jomon Aliyas. Effect of Online Social Networking on Student Academic Performance. Computers in Human Behavior 28,
no. 6 (November 1, 2012): 21172127.

Summary of Research
Questions
1. Does time spent on OSN, attention deficit, student
characteristics, academic competence, predictors of
student behavior, time management skills have a
significant impact on academic performance?
2. Do student characteristics, time management skills,
attention span, etc. have a significant impact on time spent
on OSN?

Findings

Attention
Deficit

Academic
Competence

Student
Characteristics

Indirectly
Indirectly

Directly
Academic
Performance

Planned
Behavior

Time
Management
Skills

Time Spent
on OSN

Emmanuels Thesis Interest Area: A correlational

investigation into the use of video games and its
impact on the cognitive ability of seniors.
Hwang et al (2011). Elders' Usability,
Dependability, and Flow Experiences on
Embodied Interactive Video Games.
Educational Gerontology (8), pg. 715-731

Hwang et al (2011). Elders' Usability, Dependability, and Flow Experiences on Embodied Interactive Video
Games. Educational Gerontology (8), pg. 715-731

Hwang et al (2011). Elders' Usability,

Dependability, and Flow Experiences on
Embodied Interactive Video Games
Daily physical activities may slowdown the
deterioration of cognitive aging. This study
intended to develop embodiment interactive
video games with friendly human-machine
interface to break through the elders literacy,
cognitive aging, and psychomotor hindrances
toward technology

Method and Instrument

30 participants were used: 14 males and 16 females, aged
between 60 and above from three different settings: rural
community, elementary school volunteer groups and a from a
nursing home for elderly.

Compared to Nintendo DS and Wii which are sport oriented,

the researchers developed a new game called Embodied
Interactive Video Game (EIVG) developed by Macromedia
flash, a commercial application of Adobe System.

Two clear distinctions of the game are:

oCreation of vectorial graphics and

oThe interaction of the user with the animation

via webcam. The use of mouse, keyboard and
other devices were discarded. The players
could move their bodies, wave their hands or
shake their head to indicate movements.

Purpose of the research:

a. To understand the elders perceived
usability and dependability of the
embodied interactive video game
system.
b. To understand the flow experiences of
the elders while playing on the system.
c. To explore the relations between the
elders perceived usability, dependability
of the system, and the flow experiences.

Research Questions
How difficult is it to learn to use a device, to understand
and to integrate functioning instructions?
What is the extent to which technological applications
satisfy users needs?
How easy can a video game induce (produce) errors for
elderly users and how easy can it recover from them?
Is there any satisfaction of using video games and what
are the attitude of adopting technological applications for
senior?
Is there any impact of using video games on the
memory and cognition?

Results
Both sexes found it easier to play the game
They were all satisfied with the game
Females were more active in exploring activities while male elderly were
passive as observers
Usability and dependability of the game were high
Females felt learnability, efficiency and satisfaction were higher than
males

Embodied
Interactive
Video Game
(EIVG)
Females were
more active in
exploring
activities while
male elderly
were passive
as observers

Both sexes found

it easier to play
the game
They were all satisfied with
the game

Usability and
dependability of the
game were high

Class Discussion & Activity

Research Topic: The relationship between the
physical attractiveness of a political candidate and
voters' opinions of him.

1. Design a correlational study to investigate the relationship

between these two variable. What is your hypothesis? How
will you operationally define and measure the two variables?
2. How will you obtain a random sample of participants?
3. Assume that your study produces a correlation of .56 between
the two variables. What are at least three possible causal
explanations for this relationship?
4. How will you address the weaknesses of correlational design?

Ethical Issues in Conducting

Correlational Designs
1. It is unethical to not have measured appropriate
controls (age, gender, race etc.)
2. It is unethical to edit or make up data
3. Plagiarism should not be entertained.
4. It is unethical not to report contradictory findings
5. It is unethical not to share the result of research
with others
6. During meta-analyses, it is unethical to exclude
studies because of their small sample sizes and
insignificant results

Strengths of Correlational Designs

it can indicate relationship between two or more variables
It helps to explain a certain behavior
It shows the degree of relationship between variables
It helps to predict an outcome
It helps to determine the strength and direction of a relationship for further

Weaknesses of Correlational
Designs
Its finding cannot be generalized
It doesnt show causation, just relationship. Correlation causation
It does not reveal which of the variables caused the relationship
Its time consuming and expensive
Its result can be affected by poor survey and unrepresentative sample.

References:
Paul, Jomon Aliyas. Effect of Online Social Networking on Student
Academic Performance. Computers in Human Behavior 28, no. 6
(November 1, 2012): 21172127.
Hwang et al (2011). Elders' Usability, Dependability, and Flow
Experiences on Embodied Interactive Video Games. Educational
Gerontology (8), pg. 715-731
Creswell J. (2012). Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and
Evaluating Qualitative and Quantitative Research, 4th Ed. Toronto:
Pearson