The formulas for some measures of association can result in coefficients with either positive or negative signs.Under which of the following circumstances can those signs be meaningfully interpreted?
A)whenever the data are expressed as frequencies
B)when the data are measured at the nominal level
C)when the data are measured at the ordinal level
D)whenever the data have a modal category
E)whenever the data are expressed as percentages

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Measures of association (such as correlation coefficients) can only be meaningfully interpreted when the data are measured at an interval or ratio level. However, in the case of nominal or dichotomous data, measures such as phi or Cramér's V can still be calculated, and their signs indicate the direction of the association. But these coefficients may not be as meaningful or reliable as those calculated from ordinal or higher level variables.

The Formulas for Some Measures of Association Can Result in Coefficients