What does it mean to say that two variables are negatively correlated?
When one variable increases, the other decreases.
• When one variable increases, the other also increases.
• When one variable decreases, the other also decreases.
• Both variables change at the same rate.
To determine whether two variables are negatively correlated, you need to examine the relationship between them. A negative correlation means that as one variable increases, the other variable decreases. In other words, there is an inverse relationship between the two variables.
To understand this concept, you can plot the values of both variables on a scatter plot. If the points on the plot form a downward-sloping line or a general pattern where higher values of one variable are associated with lower values of the other variable, then they are negatively correlated.
Alternatively, you can also calculate the correlation coefficient between the two variables. The correlation coefficient is a statistical measure that quantifies the strength and direction of the relationship between two variables. A negative correlation coefficient indicates a negative correlation between the variables.
In summary, if you observe a pattern where one variable consistently increases as the other variable decreases, or if the correlation coefficient is negative, then you can conclude that the two variables are negatively correlated.