Introduction

Are you a student of psychology who is on the edge of conducting his research? If yes, then you must know about the different types of research designs you can use. Mostly, the research on the subject of psychology is non-experimental. Researchers only correlate the available data and draw a conclusion based on their correlations. Such type of research design is called correlational research design. This research method is common among psychology students who study different variables and try to relate them. Although very popular, many students still do not know a lot about this method. It is the reason why correlational research design will be the epicentre of today’s discussion. It will discuss the importance and types of this research design in detail. So, let’s begin our discussion with the definition of this research.

What type of research is a correlational study?

This research is a type of study in which the researcher correlates two variables. It does not involve any experimentation because this research method is non-experimental. However, upon the successful correlation of the variables, the researchers define their relationship. Remember that the relationship established will be a statistical relationship. In simple words, you can say that correlational research design aims to identify the relationship between different variables. The relationship here means if one variable changes, it should have an effect on the other. This is exactly what the researcher measures in this research method.

Characteristics of correlation research

After reading the information given above, you know what correlational research is. Now, let’s talk about its three main characteristics.

• Non-experimental. This study is non-experimental. It means that researchers do not need to manipulate the variables with any scientific methodology. The researcher only measures the relationship between the variables. It is important to note that it is not an ‘agree or disagree’ type of study.
• Backwards-looking. This research type only looks back at the historical data. It means that the researcher only observes the events that happened in the past. By forming correlations, he finds the useful patterns in the data. This study may show a positive or negative relationship, but it is not the final word. The correlation can change in the future.

• Dynamic. The correlational research design is dynamic. It is because the correlations established now can alter in the future. Nothing is constant in this type of research. Two variables having a negative correlation in the past can positively correlate in the future.

What is a correlational research design example?

Let’s take an example to understand the correlational research design better.

Consider hypothetically, a researcher is studying the relationship between marriage and cancer. Now, in this research, you can identify two variables. One is a disease that is cancer, and the other is marriage. Let us say that marriage is related to cancer negatively. This statement means that marriage prevents couples from the deadly disease of cancer.

Now, the above statement cannot be true all the time. In correlational research design, you cannot say what causes what. The reality is that the two variables are measured, but there will be no change in either of them. Therefore, the research tries to correlate the two variables and draw a conclusion. The conclusion can or cannot be true all the time.

Why do we use correlational research design?

The correlational research design method is an important method in psychology. It can forecast future happenings without using experiments. The major thing that makes it so important is its ability to correlate different variables. Upon successful correlation, the researcher can forecast events. This method is particularly useful when the researchers are unable to determine something through experimentation. Therefore, this research design holds immense importance.

What are the types of correlational research design?

The above information is enough to get an overall idea of this research design. In this section, to understand it better, let’s talk about its main types. Basically, there are three main types of correlational research design. Hence, a brief description of each type is as follows;

Positive correlation

It is the first type of correlation research design. This correlation states that an increase in one variable results in an increase in the other variable. In simple words, you can say that both the variables are directly related to each other. The same is the case with decrement. A decrease in one variable results in the decrement of the other variable. For example, the amount of money a person might be related to the number of cars he owns.

Negative correlation

Negative correlation is the second type of correlational research design. This states that an increment in one variable results in the decrement of the other. You can say the variables are inversely proportional to each other. An example of this correlation is as follows;

The researcher wants to know the relationship between education and the crime rate. He selects some persons for this study and observes them. After studying both the variables, he concludes that being educated correlates negatively with the crime rate. It means that the higher the literacy rate of a country is, the lower will be the crime rate.

Zero correlation

The third and the last type of correlation is zero or no correlation. The two involved variables cannot be statistically connected with each other. In such correlations, a change in one variable does not bring any change to the other. This type of correlational research design deals with variables with vague relationships. For example, a researcher tries to relate wealth and patience. The relationship between these variables is zero as they are statistically independent. Well, if there is any change in the variables of this correlation, it can be due to a sudden change. Normally, you will not see any change.

Conclusion

Correlational research design is an important non-experimental research method. It is commonly used in the field of psychology to establish correlations between different variables. Those correlations can be positive, negative or zero based on the discussion.

Author Bio:

Robert Fawl is a professional Content writer & Content Marketer. Based in London, Robert is an author and blogger with experience in encounter composing on various topics including but not limited to Essay Writing, Dissertation Writing, Thesis Writing Services and Assignment Writing etc.