Relationships · Scatterplots
Shape Before Correlation
What relationship can a single correlation coefficient hide?
Page 1 of 7 · Big Picture
The big picture: Shape Before Correlation
What relationship can a single correlation coefficient hide?
Why a policy analyst should care
A single correlation can hide curvature, subgroups, and influential observations, making the scatterplot part of the analysis rather than decoration.
Follow the idea from the opening question to a practical decision. These are the conceptual moves this module will develop:
1 Question Can one number show the relationship?
2 Explore Inspect relationship shapes
3 Formalize Direction, form, and strength
4 Transfer Describe the scatterplot first
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