What is a correlational analysis and when is it okay to use it?

Answer 1

A correlational analysis measures the strength and direction of the relationship between two or more variables. The strength and direction of the relationship is typically interpreted by using coefficients like Pearson’s r. It’s ideal for exploring natural associations in observational data, especially when you’re not able to manipulate variables in an experiment. For example, it works well when you want to see if there's a link between study habits and exam performance in a real-world setting.



However, it's not appropriate if you're trying to prove causation, as correlation doesn’t imply one variable causes changes in another. Also, ensure your data meets the assumptions of the correlation test you choose (like linearity for Pearson’s r); otherwise, consider using a nonparametric alternative like Spearman’s rho.