Korrelats

Korrelats is a term used in statistics and research to denote variables or factors that show an association with a particular target variable. The term is encountered in some languages, notably Dutch and in multilingual academic writing, where it is often equivalent to the English “correlates.” In English-language literature the more common term is “correlates” or “associated factors.”

Etymology and scope: The word derives from the concept of correlation; korrelats functions as a plural noun describing a set of variables linked with the outcome of interest. It does not imply causation.

Identification and interpretation: Korrelats are typically identified using statistical methods such as Pearson or Spearman correlation, regression coefficients, or multivariate analyses. They are used for understanding associations, designing experiments, or informing variable selection in models. Because correlation does not imply causation, korrelats should be interpreted with caution and considered alongside domain knowledge and potential confounders.

Applications: In social sciences, epidemiology, psychology, and data science, researchers refer to korrelats when listing variables that tend to occur together with the studied variable, or that explain part of its variance. They can guide hypothesis generation, risk stratification, and feature engineering.

Related concepts include correlation, correlational study, confounding variables, and regression analysis.