Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Practice Exam

Before conducting a correlational analysis in research, which tool provides useful preliminary information about the relationship between variables?

1. Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient

2. Spearman's rank-order correlation coefficient

3. Bivariate correlational analysis

4. Scatter diagrams

The correct answer is: Scatter diagrams

Using scatter diagrams is an effective way to visually assess the relationship between two variables before conducting a correlational analysis. These diagrams plot individual data points for each variable on a two-dimensional graph, allowing researchers to quickly identify patterns, trends, or potential correlations between the variables. By examining the scatter plot, one can determine whether the relationship appears to be positive, negative, or nonexistent, and whether it is linear or nonlinear. This preliminary analysis can inform the choice of statistical methods to use afterward and help set the stage for deeper investigations into the strength and nature of the correlations. While the other options, such as correlation coefficients and bivariate analysis, quantify the relationship mathematically, they typically require prior insight into the data's distribution and potential patterns, which scatter diagrams provide at an initial glance.