Correlation Coefficient

Description

Discussion 1(a) Imagine that you wanted to look at the difference between two independent groups. For example, you want to explore partner violence to see whether men or women are more physically violent in abusive relationships. The statistic you would conduct is an independent sample t-test. This test will tell you if there is a statistical difference between the means of the two independent groups. After you conduct an independent t-test, you would arrive at the conclusion that for each of the outcome variables, the differences between the two groups were statistically significant or not statistically significant.

For this Discussion, you explain when to use a t-test and how understanding this test will benefit you as a social worker.

• Explain when to use a t-test using a social work practice example.
• Explain how understanding what a t-test is and how it functions may assist you as a social worker.

• Explain how the t-test function you identified may also enhance your colleague’s social work practice.
• Discussion 1(b) However, with a correlation, you do not know cause and effect. For example, in this scenario did getting poor grades lead to marijuana use—or did marijuana use lead to poor grades? Identifying a relationship between variables is not the same as understanding the cause and effect. For this Discussion, you explain the function of correlations and how understanding correlations may help you better understand a population.
  Post your responses to the following:
  • Explain how correlations function.
  • Explain how understanding correlations may help you better understand a population.
  • Describe another way in which understanding correlations may enhance your colleague’s practice.