A correlation is a relationship between two or more variables. When two variables are correlated, it means that they tend to change together. There are two main types of correlations: positive and negative.
Positive Correlation
In a positive correlation, as one variable increases, the other variable also increases.
- Example: The more hours a student studies, the higher their test scores tend to be.
Negative Correlation
In a negative correlation, as one variable increases, the other variable decreases.
- Example: The more hours a student spends playing video games, the lower their grades tend to be.
It is important to remember that correlation does not imply causation. Just because two variables are correlated does not mean that one causes the other. There may be other factors at play.
For example, in the example above about video games and grades, there could be other factors that explain the correlation, such as a student's time management skills or their motivation to study.