Pick two variables that you think are at least moderately NEGATIVELY correlated
ID: 3464929 • Letter: P
Question
Pick two variables that you think are at least moderately NEGATIVELY correlated - describe what it would mean for those variables to be moderately negatively correlated (e.g., as X increases, Y...). THEN, explain whether this correlation can tell us anything about whether one variable causes a change in the other - why or why not?
For example, I would expect a negative relationship between average daily temperature and heater purchases - As average daily temperature goes down, heater purchases go up. Does this tell me anything about the cause of heater purchases?
Explanation / Answer
Two variables I feel maybe moderately negatively correlated are body weight and body esteem. I would assume that the higher an individual’s body weight, the lower would be their body esteem. Similarly, the lower an individual’s body weight, the higher would be their body esteem. This correlation cannot tell us anything about causation. Body image is a complex construct that maybe determined by multiple factors, and not simply by one’s body weight.