Counselor Education Comprehensive Exam (CECE) Practice Exam

Which of the following statements about the correlation coefficient is NOT TRUE?

1. It provides information about the relationship between two variables.

2. Correlation values range from -1.00 to +1.00.

3. Correlations only indicate relationships between variables and indicate causation.

4. The stronger the relationship, the higher the absolute value of the correlation.

The correct answer is: Correlations only indicate relationships between variables and indicate causation.

The statement that correlations only indicate relationships between variables and indicate causation is not true. While the correlation coefficient indicates the strength and direction of a relationship between two variables, it does not imply that one variable causes changes in another. Correlation is a statistical measure that expresses the extent to which two variables are linearly related, but establishing causation requires additional evidence, such as controlled experiments or longitudinal studies. In contrast, the other statements accurately describe aspects of the correlation coefficient. The correlation coefficient does indeed provide information about the relationship between two variables, with values that range from -1.00 to +1.00. A correlation of -1.00 indicates a perfect negative relationship, while +1.00 indicates a perfect positive relationship. The strength of the relationship is correctly represented by the absolute value of the correlation, where values closer to either -1 or +1 signify a stronger relationship.