Question

Explain what is meant by a positive relationship between two variables and a negative relationship between two variables. Give an example of a situation in which you would expect to find a positive relationship and when you would expect to find a negative relationship.

Answer 1

A positive relationship means the variables move in the same direction, while a negative relationship means they move in opposite directions.

Step-by-step explanation:

A positive relationship between two variables means that the variables move in the same direction. When one variable increases, the other also increases, and when one variable decreases, the other also decreases. For example, the relationship between an individual's height and weight is typically positive. As the height of a person increases, their weight also tends to increase.

A negative relationship between two variables means that the variables move in opposite directions. When one variable increases, the other decreases, and vice versa. For instance, the relationship between tiredness during the day and the number of hours slept the previous night is often negative. As tiredness increases, the number of hours of sleep decreases.

Answer 2

Answer: A positive relationship between two variables means that as the value of one variable increases, the value of the other variable also increases. In other words, there is a direct association or correlation between the two variables. Graphically, a positive relationship is represented by an upward-sloping line or curve.

For example, let's consider the relationship between studying time and exam scores. In general, if a student spends more time studying for an exam, their exam score is likely to increase. This implies a positive relationship between studying time and exam scores.

On the other hand, a negative relationship between two variables means that as the value of one variable increases, the value of the other variable decreases. In this case, there is an inverse association or correlation between the two variables. Graphically, a negative relationship is represented by a downward-sloping line or curve.

For instance, let's consider the relationship between hours of sleep and levels of fatigue. As the number of hours of sleep decreases, the level of fatigue tends to increase. This indicates a negative relationship between hours of sleep and levels of fatigue.

It's important to note that these examples describe typical scenarios, but individual variations and other factors can also influence the relationships between variables.