A correlation indicates a relationship between two variables, such as the amount of time you spend studying and the grade you get on a test. This relationship is often indicated using a correlation coefficient, symbolized as r. To interpret the relationship using a correlation coefficient (r), ask yourself two questions:
(1) What is the direction of the relationship?
(2) What is the strength of the relationship?
A scatterplot helps us see what the correlation looks like.
And remember, a correlation between two variables does not necessarily mean that one variable caused the change in the other variable.