Abstract
All correlational statistics must be interpreted with consideration given to certain constraints. The use of the Pearson product moment correlation coefficient as a descriptive measure of relationship necessitates the assumption that the correlated variables be distributed bivariately normal. This assumption is probably not met in some applications of the Pearson product moment correlation coefficient as a descriptive statistic. This study was undertaken to establish some empirical evidence as to the consequences of this action. The results indicate that lack of bivariate normality can have a sizeable effect on the magnitude of obtained values of the Pearson product moment correlation coefficient.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication, with the work [SPECIFY PERIOD OF TIME] after publication simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).