Lesson 3.1.4.5.2

3.1.4.5.2 Strengths and weaknesses of correlations Quiz: AQA Psychology, Unit 4

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 3.1.4.5.2, Strengths and weaknesses of correlations: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA GCSE Psychology (8182), Unit 4: Research methods, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is a key strength of using correlations to study real-life relationships?

    • They always produce results that generalise to every population
    • They prove which variable caused the other to change
    • They can be carried out on existing data without manipulating any variable
    • They eliminate all participant variables from the study

  2. Which is a weakness of correlation as a research method?

    • Possible third variables may explain the link
    • Correlations always require each participant to complete several conditions
    • Correlations are impossible to carry out with more than ten people
    • Correlations cannot be displayed on any kind of graph or diagram

  3. A correlation links reading ability and vocabulary size. Why might a researcher be cautious?

    • Reading ability always causes vocabulary size to increase in children
    • Vocabulary size always causes reading ability to decrease
    • The data must be qualitative because they are about ability
    • Both could depend on a third factor such as schooling

  4. Which statement is a strength of correlational studies in ethical terms?

    • They can study harmful variables such as stress without deliberately causing it
    • They remove the need for informed consent in every case
    • They allow the researcher to inflict stress on participants safely
    • They guarantee participants will never be harmed by any measure

  5. Why is a correlation useful as a starting point for research?

    • It replaces the need for experiments in psychology altogether
    • It allows the researcher to randomly allocate participants to groups
    • It can suggest relationships that experiments can later test for cause and effect
    • It proves a hypothesis is correct before any further testing

  6. Which limitation applies if a correlation is based on a small, unrepresentative sample?

    • The findings may not generalise to the wider population
    • The findings prove that participants were randomly allocated
    • The findings must be discarded because they cannot be graphed
    • The findings will always show a perfect correlation

  7. A psychologist studies parental income and children's test results using existing school records. Which is a strength of this approach?

    • Existing data can be used cheaply and quickly without manipulating anything
    • Existing records remove all extraneous variables from the study
    • Existing records always involve random allocation of children to classes
    • Existing records prove that income causes better test results

  8. Why might a correlation between screen time and attention span be misleading?

    • Children with short attention spans may choose more screen time
    • Screen time always causes attention spans to become shorter in children
    • Attention span always causes screen time to fall to zero
    • Correlations cannot measure attention span because it is qualitative

  9. A study finds a correlation between caffeine intake and anxiety. What is the most important next step?

    • Publish the result as proof that caffeine always causes anxiety
    • Run an experiment that manipulates caffeine intake to test whether it causes anxiety
    • Allocate participants to the same caffeine level to confirm the link
    • Stop collecting data because the correlation has already been found

  10. Which situation best justifies using a correlation rather than an experiment?

    • A researcher tests whether a new drug reduces anxiety
    • A researcher compares two teaching methods on test scores
    • A researcher manipulates sleep to measure its effect on memory
    • A researcher studies the link between childhood trauma and adult anxiety

  11. Which statement best evaluates correlational research?

    • It is the only method that can establish causation in psychology
    • It is always more valid than a controlled laboratory experiment
    • It produces results that never need to be checked by replication
    • It is useful for identifying relationships

  12. Why do psychologists often use correlation alongside experiments?

    • Correlations show whether variables are linked
    • Experiments are only used when a correlation has been found to be zero
    • Correlations replace experiments whenever participants are under sixteen
    • Experiments can only be done after a correlation has proved causation

  13. A survey finds that height and salary are correlated. Which conclusion is strongest?

    • The survey shows that high pay makes people grow taller
    • The survey is invalid because height and salary are both quantitative
    • The survey shows that height directly causes higher pay in every job
    • The survey shows an association

  14. What does correlational research NOT allow the researcher to do?

    • Plot the results on a scatter diagram for inspection
    • Manipulate the independent variable to observe its direct effect
    • Identify whether a relationship is positive or negative
    • Measure two variables for the same group of participants

  15. What is the biggest practical advantage of a correlation when studying a rare condition?

    • Researchers can create the rare condition in a laboratory safely
    • Researchers can study existing cases without waiting to create the condition
    • Researchers can guarantee a random sample of all sufferers
    • Researchers can eliminate all confounding variables in one study

  16. Which term describes a variable that may explain a correlation between two other variables?

    • A control condition
    • A demand characteristic
    • A third variable
    • A dependent variable

  17. What would a perfect correlation look like on a scatter diagram?

    • Points form a U-shaped curve on the graph
    • All points lie exactly on a straight line
    • Points spread randomly across the whole graph
    • Points form a single cluster in the centre

  18. Which limitation affects the use of correlational findings for intervention?

    • They reliably show what causes the link, so the findings can be applied immediately
    • They may not show the direction or cause of the link, limiting practical action
    • They are measured on a fixed scale, so the strength of the link cannot change between samples
    • They are only useful when the researcher manipulates the variables under controlled conditions

  19. A researcher argues that correlations are always more reliable than experiments. Which response is best?

    • This is wrong, since correlations show patterns but cannot establish cause
    • This is correct, because correlations use real data while experiments always use artificial data
    • This is correct, because correlations use larger samples than experiments always do
    • This is partly right, because correlations never need to measure anything

  20. Why must researchers consider the direction of a correlation's causal link?

    • A correlation shows that the first variable causes the second whenever the coefficient is strong enough
    • A correlation alone cannot show whether A causes B, B causes A, or a third factor affects both
    • A correlation is always negative when the direction of the causal link is unclear to researchers
    • A correlation shows the direction of the link only when a control group and random allocation are used

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