Two groups of students - those looking to study science degrees and those looking to study business degrees - are asked to rank, in order of preference, the universities they are applying for. The researcher then wants to determine the correlation between the two groups. Which statistical test is most appropriate?
A) Pearson's correlation coefficient
B) Chi-square test
C) Spearman's rank-order correlation coefficient
D) Independent samples t-test

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The most appropriate statistical test to determine the correlation between two groups' preferences is Spearman's rank-order correlation coefficient. This test is suitable when dealing with ranked data and determines whether there is a correlation between the two groups, regardless of the exact values of the rankings. Pearson's correlation coefficient is suitable when dealing with continuous data, while the Chi-square test and independent samples t-test are both used for categorical data.

Two Groups of Students - Those Looking to Study Science