Linear Regression

Question

Sonya frequently does baby sitting for her neighbors. When asked how much she charged per hour, she had to confess that she just took what she was paid. The following chart lists the times and the pay for her last several jobs. What is the best estimate for the correlation coefficient computed by the calculator if a linear regression is performed on the data?

x y

2.5 9 A) -1

3 10 B) -6

3.25 11 C) 10

4.5 16 D)5

6 20

Answer 1

Correlation coefficients are always between -1 and 1. So the only answer that makes sense is A. However, as x increases, y increases. If A is correct, it should be +1, not -1. This might be a trick question!