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correlation coefficient

a numerical index reflecting the degree of linear relationship between two variables. It is scaled so that the value of +1 indicates a perfect positive relationship (such that high scores on variable x are associated with high scores on variable y), –1 indicates a perfect negative relationship (such that high scores on variable x are associated with low scores on variable y, or vice versa), and 0 indicates no relationship. The most commonly used type of correlation coefficient is the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient.

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Psychology term of the day

January 22nd 2025

colloid

colloid

n.

1. a large, gluelike molecule that cannot pass through the plasma membrane of a cell. When injected into the peritoneum, colloids attract and retain water by osmosis.

2. a system consisting of two or more phases in which one phase (the dispersed phase) is distributed throughout the other phase (the continuous phase). A sol, for example, consists of large molecules or small solid particles distributed in a liquid, as when starch is mixed with water. —colloidal adj.