Most of you have heard the saying, “Just because two things are related doesn’t mean there is a cause-and-effect relationship.” More simply, two things can be related to each other but not have a relationship where one is causing the other to occur. Using the telephone on a daily basis and having high blood pressure may be statistically related, but it might be unreasonable to conclude that having high blood pressure causes you to use the telephone or vice versa. Such is the world of correlational research design.

This week focuses on correlational research designs and their applicability to quantitative research in forensic psychology. From the use of a Pearson correlation coefficient to using the chi-square statistic, correlational research designs help you to “ know” if two seemingly related variables truly are related.

Apply concepts of positive and negative linear and curvilinear relationships
Analyze strengths and limitations of correlational designs in forensic psychology research