A Level Psychology OCR Practice Exam

What statistical test is appropriate for assessing a correlation using ordinal or continuous data?

1. Pearson's R

2. Spearman's Rho test

3. Chi-squared test

4. Wilcoxon test

The correct answer is: Spearman's Rho test

The Spearman's Rho test is appropriate for assessing a correlation when dealing with ordinal or continuous data. This non-parametric test is designed to evaluate the strength and direction of the association between two variables, where the data does not necessarily meet the assumptions required for parametric tests such as normality. Spearman's Rho ranks the data rather than using the raw data values; this makes it particularly useful when dealing with ordinal data, which can often be skewed or not normally distributed. By converting the data into ranks, the Spearman's Rho test allows for the evaluation of relationships that may not be linear or that could be affected by outliers in a dataset. This test provides a correlation coefficient that ranges from -1 to +1, indicating a perfect negative correlation or perfect positive correlation, respectively. Therefore, using Spearman's Rho is appropriate in contexts where the nature of the data warrants this non-parametric approach, ensuring reliable insights into the relationships being investigated.