If a researcher wants to examine whether taller people tend to weigh more, which statistical technique would be used?

If a researcher wants to examine whether taller people tend to weigh more, which statistical technique would be used?

• A. Regression
• B. Causation
• C. Correlation
• D. Sampling

Answer: (C)

The key idea is measuring whether two continuous variables move together, which is what correlation does. Correlation quantifies both the direction and strength of the association between height and weight. A positive correlation would show that, on average, as height increases, weight tends to increase, and the correlation coefficient tells you how strong that relationship is. If you needed to predict weight from height or model how weight changes with height, you’d use regression, but correlation is the right tool to simply examine whether there is an association and how strong it is. Causation goes beyond correlation and requires stronger evidence, and sampling is about selecting participants rather than analyzing the relationship itself. So the best choice is correlation.

The key idea is measuring whether two continuous variables move together, which is what correlation does. Correlation quantifies both the direction and strength of the association between height and weight. A positive correlation would show that, on average, as height increases, weight tends to increase, and the correlation coefficient tells you how strong that relationship is. If you needed to predict weight from height or model how weight changes with height, you’d use regression, but correlation is the right tool to simply examine whether there is an association and how strong it is. Causation goes beyond correlation and requires stronger evidence, and sampling is about selecting participants rather than analyzing the relationship itself. So the best choice is correlation.