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Health Services Research (HSR) Methods
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Correlation
Related Terms: Correlation Coefficient

A statistic that indicates the association between two variables. Correlation may be positive, zero, or negative. Positive correlation reflects a relationship where, as one variable increases, the other also increases. Negative correlation reflects a relationship where, as one variable increases, the other decreases. The correlation between two variables is zero if no systematic relationship exists between the two variables.

Further Reading
Gliner, J.A. and G.A. Morgan. 2000. Research Methods in Applied Settings, Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.