Before calculating a correlation coefficient, a researcher wants to determine whether the relationship between the two variables is linear.Which of the following would be most appropriate to use?
A) Histogram
B) Frequency polygon
C) Data matrix
D) Scatterplot

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A scatterplot is the most appropriate tool to determine whether the relationship between two variables is linear. It graphically displays the relationship between the two variables, and allows the researcher to visually identify whether the relationship appears to be linear or not. Histograms and frequency polygons are used to show the distribution of a single variable, and a data matrix is simply a table of values without any graphical representation.

Before Calculating a Correlation Coefficient, a Researcher Wants to Determine