AAMC FL Practice Exam

What does a negative correlation indicate about two variables?

1. Both variables increase together

2. As one variable increases, the other decreases

3. Both variables remain unchanged

4. One variable has no impact on the other

The correct answer is: As one variable increases, the other decreases

A negative correlation between two variables signifies that as one variable increases, the other variable tends to decrease. This indicates an inverse relationship, meaning that higher values of one variable are associated with lower values of the other, and vice versa. For instance, if we consider temperature and the amount of ice present, as the temperature increases, the amount of ice typically decreases. This clear pattern demonstrates the concept of a negative correlation effectively. In contrast, a positive correlation would imply that both variables increase or decrease together, a situation observed in many scenarios such as studying hours and test scores. If both variables remain unchanged, this describes a lack of correlation rather than a negative one. Lastly, stating that one variable has no impact on the other also does not capture the dynamic indicated by a negative correlation, which explicitly shows that there is an interaction, albeit inversely.