Seoseanalüüsi

Seoseanalüüsi, often translated as correlation analysis or association analysis, is a statistical technique used to measure the strength and direction of a relationship between two or more variables. It helps researchers understand how changes in one variable might be related to changes in another. The most common measure of association is the correlation coefficient, which typically ranges from -1 to +1. A coefficient close to +1 indicates a strong positive relationship, meaning as one variable increases, the other tends to increase as well. A coefficient close to -1 signifies a strong negative relationship, where as one variable increases, the other tends to decrease. A coefficient near 0 suggests a weak or no linear relationship between the variables.

It is important to distinguish correlation from causation. While two variables might be strongly correlated, it does not automatically mean that one causes the other. There may be a third, unobserved variable influencing both, or the relationship could be purely coincidental. Seoseanalüüsi is widely applied in various fields, including social sciences, economics, marketing, and medicine, to identify patterns and explore potential connections within data. Different types of correlation coefficients exist, such as Pearson's r for linear relationships between continuous variables, and Spearman's rho for monotonic relationships between ordinal variables. The choice of coefficient depends on the nature of the data and the type of relationship being investigated.