Chapter 4

Scatterplots and
Correlation
04/07/24 Chapter 4 1
 Explanatory Variable
and Response Variable
• Correlation describes linear relationships
between quantitative variables
• X is the quantitative explanatory variable
• Y is the quantitative response variable
• Example: The correlation between per
capita gross domestic product (X) and life
expectancy (Y) will be explored
04/07/24 Chapter 4 2
 Data (data file = gdp_life.sav)
Country Per Capita GDP (X) Life Expectancy
(Y)
Austria 21.4 77.48
Belgium 23.2 77.53
Finland 20.0 77.32
France 22.7 78.63
Germany 20.8 77.17
Ireland 18.6 76.39
Italy 21.5 78.51
Netherlands 22.0 78.15
Switzerland 23.8 78.99
United Kingdom 21.2 77.37

04/07/24 Chapter 4 3
 Scatterplot: Bivariate points (x , y ) i i
79.5

79.0 This is the data point for

Switzerland (23.8, 78.99)
78.5

78.0

77.5

77.0
LIFE_EXP

76.5

76.0
18 19 20 21 22 23 24

GDP
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 Interpreting Scatterplots
• Form: Can relationship be described by
straight line (linear)? ..by a curved line? etc.
• Outliers?: Any deviations from overall
pattern?
• Direction of the relationship either:
– Positive association (upward slope)
– Negative association (downward slope)
– No association (flat)
• Strength: Extent to which points adhere to
imaginary trend line
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 Example: Interpretation
Here is the scatterplot we saw earlier:
This is the data point for
Switzerland (23.8, 78.99)
79.5

79.0 Interpretation:
78.5
• Form: linear (straight)
78.0

77.5 • Outliers: none

77.0
• Direction: positive
LIFE_EXP

76.5

76.0 • Strength: difficult to

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

GDP judge by eye

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 Example 2
Interpretation
• Form: linear
• Outliers: none
• Direction: positive
• Strength: difficult to
judge by eye (looks
strong)

04/07/24 Chapter 4 7
 Example 3
• Form: linear
• Outliers: none
• Direction: negative
• Strength: difficult to
judge by eye (looks
moderate)

04/07/24 Chapter 4 8
 Example 4
• Form: linear(?)
• Outliers: none
• Direction: negative
• Strength: difficult to
judge by eye (looks
weak)

04/07/24 Chapter 4 9
 Interpreting Scatterplots
• Form: curved
• Outliers: none
• Direction: U-shaped
• Strength: difficult to
judge by eye (looks
moderate)

04/07/24 Chapter 4 10
 Correlational Strength
• It is difficult to judge
correlational strength by
eye alone
• Here are identical data
plotted on differently
axes
• First relationship seems
weaker than second
• This is an artifact of the
axis scaling
• We use a statistical
called the correlation
coefficient to judge
strength objectively

04/07/24 Chapter 4 11
 Correlation coefficient (r)
• r ≡ Pearson’s correlation coefficient
• Always between −1 and +1 (inclusive)
 r = +1  all points on upward sloping line
 r = -1  all points on downward line
 r = 0  no line or horizontal line
 The closer r is to +1 or –1, the stronger the
correlation

04/07/24 Chapter 4 12
 Interpretation of r
• Direction: positive, negative, ≈0
• Strength: the closer |r| is to 1, the stronger the
correlation
0.0  |r| < 0.3  weak correlation
0.3  |r| < 0.7  moderate correlation
0.7  |r| < 1.0  strong correlation
|r| = 1.0  perfect correlation

04/07/24 Chapter 4 13
04/07/24 Chapter 4 14
 More Examples of
Correlation Coefficients
• Husband’s age / Wife’s age
• r = .94 (strong positive correlation)
• Husband’s height / Wife’s height
• r = .36 (weak positive correlation)
• Distance of golf putt / percent success
• r = -.94 (strong negative correlation)

04/07/24 Chapter 4 15
 Calculating r by hand
• Calculate mean and standard deviation of X
• Turn all X values into z scores
• Calculate mean and standard deviation of Y
• Turn all Y values into z scores
• Use formula on next page

04/07/24 Chapter 4 16
 Correlation coefficient r
n
1
r 
n - 1 i 1
z X  zY

where xi  x
zX 
sx
yi  y
zY 
sy

04/07/24 Chapter 4 17
 Example: Calculating r
ZY ZX ∙ ZX
X Y ZX
21.4 77.48 -0.078 -0.345 0.027
23.2 77.53 1.097 -0.282 -0.309
20.0 77.32 -0.992 -0.546 0.542
22.7 78.63 0.770 1.102 0.849
20.8 77.17 -0.470 -0.735 0.345
18.6 76.39 -1.906 -1.716 3.271
21.5 78.51 -0.013 0.951 -0.012
22.0 78.15 0.313 0.498 0.156
23.8 78.99 1.489 1.555 2.315
21.2 77.37 -0.209 -0.483 0.101
7.285
Notes: x-bar= 21.52 sx =1.532;
y-bar= 77.754; sy =0.795
04/07/24 Chapter 4 18
 Example: Calculating r
1 n  x i  x  y i  y 
r   
n - 1 i 1  s x  s y 
 1 
 (7.285)
 10  1
 0.809

r = .81  strong positive correlation

04/07/24 Chapter 4 19
 Calculating r
Check calculations with calculator or applet.
Data entry screen of the two variable Applet
TI two-variable
that comes with the text
calculator

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 Beware!
• r applies to linear relations only
• Outliers have large influences on r
• Association does not imply
causation

04/07/24 Chapter 4 21
 Nonlinear relationships
• Figure shows :miles
per gallon” versus
“speed” (“car data” n
= 10)
• r  0; but this is
misleading because
there is a strong non- 35
30

miles per gallon

linear upside down U- 25
20

shape relationship 15
10
5
0
0 50 100
speed
04/07/24 Chapter 4 22
 Outliers Can Have a Large
Influence
Outlier

With the outlier, r  0

Without the outlier, r  .8
04/07/24 Chapter 4 23
 Association does not imply
causation
• See text pp. 144 - 146
 Additional Practice: Calories and
sodium content of hot dogs
(a) What are the lowest and
highest calorie counts?
…lowest and highest
sodium levels?
(b) Positive or negative
association?
(c) Any outliers? If we
ignore outlier, is relation
still linear? Does the
correlation become
stronger?

04/07/24 Chapter 4 25
 Additional Practice : IQ and grades
(a) Positive or negative
association?
(b) Is form linear?
(c) Does correlation
strong?
(d) What is the IQ and
GPA for the outlier
on the bottom there?

04/07/24 Chapter 4 26