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Statistical Coefficients

Coefficients are numerical measurements that quantify relationships between variables or characteristics of data distribution

• Two of the most common coefficients employed are correlation coefficients and coefficients of determination

A correlation coefficient (r value) measures the strength and direction of a relationship between two variables

• A correlation coefficient indicates how closely two variables move together (can show a positive or negative correlation)

• Linear trends are represented via a Pearson correlation, while non-parametric trends are represented via a Spearman rank correlation

• Correlation coefficients range between ±1 (strong correlation) and 0 (no correlation)

A coefficient of determination (r2 value) measures the proportion of variance in the dependent variable predictable from the independent variable

• A coefficient of determination indicates how well the data fits the statistical model (trend line) employed

• An r2 value of 0.81 means that 81% of the variance in the dependent variable can be explained by the independent variable

Types of Correlation