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The American Psychological Association (APA) style is the most commonly used format for reporting statistical results in social science research. When reporting the correlation coefficient, also known as Pearson’s r, in APA format, the following guidelines should be followed:
1. Begin by stating the purpose of the analysis, including the research question or hypothesis that was being tested.
2. In parentheses, include the type of correlation being reported, such as “Pearson’s r”.
3. Report the value of the correlation coefficient to two decimal places. If the value is negative, include a minus sign before the number.
4. If the correlation is significant (p < .05), include an asterisk after the value to indicate its significance level.
5. Next, report the degrees of freedom (df) in parentheses. This is the number of participants in the study minus 2.
6. Finally, provide the p-value for the correlation, also known as the probability value. This can be written as “p = ” followed by the numerical value. If the p-value is less than .001, it should be reported as “p < .001”.
An example of reporting Pearson’s r in APA format could be: “The correlation between hours of exercise per week and self-reported happiness was significant, r = .45, df = 50, p < .05.”
Overall, it is important to accurately and clearly report statistical results in APA format in order to effectively communicate research findings.
Report Pearson’s r in APA Format (With Examples)
A Pearson Correlation Coefficient, often denoted r, measures the linear association between two variables.
It always takes on a value between -1 and 1 where:
- -1 indicates a perfectly negative linear correlation between two variables
- 0 indicates no linear correlation between two variables
- 1 indicates a perfectly positive linear correlation between two variables
We use the following general structure to report a Pearson’s r in APA format:
A Pearson correlation coefficient was computed to assess the linear relationship between [variable 1] and [variable 2].
There was a [negative or positive] correlation between the two variables, r(df) = [r value], p = [p-value].
Keep in mind the following when reporting Pearson’s r in APA format:
- Round the p-value to three decimal places.
- Round the value for r to two decimal places.
- Drop the leading 0 for the p-value and r (e.g. use .77, not 0.77)
- The degrees of freedom (df) is calculated as N – 2.
The following examples show how to report Pearson’s r in APA format in various scenarios.
Example 1: Hours Studied vs. Exam Score Received
A professor collected data for the number of hours studied and the exam score received for 40 students in his class. He found the Pearson correlation coefficient between the two variables to be 0.48 with a corresponding p-value of 0.002.
Here is how to report Pearson’s r in APA format:
A Pearson correlation coefficient was computed to assess the linear relationship between hours studied and exam score.
There was a positive correlation between the two variables, r(38) = .48, p = .002.
Example 2: Time Spent Running vs. Body Fat
A doctor collected data for the number of hours spent running per week and body fat percentage for 35 patients. He found the Pearson correlation coefficient between the two variables to be -0.37 with a corresponding p-value of 0.029.
Here is how to report Pearson’s r in APA format:
A Pearson correlation coefficient was computed to assess the linear relationship between hours spent running and body fat percentage.
There was a negative correlation between the two variables, r(33) = -.37, p = .029.
Example 3: Ad Spend vs. Revenue Generated
Here is how to report Pearson’s r in APA format:
A Pearson correlation coefficient was computed to assess the linear relationship between advertising spend and total revenue.
There was a positive correlation between the two variables, r(13) = .71, p = .003.
The following tutorials explain how to report other statistical tests and procedures in APA format:
Cite this article
stats writer (2024). How do you report Pearson’s r in APA format, and can you provide examples?. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Retrieved from https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-do-you-report-pearsons-r-in-apa-format-and-can-you-provide-examples/
stats writer. "How do you report Pearson’s r in APA format, and can you provide examples?." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 3 May. 2024, https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-do-you-report-pearsons-r-in-apa-format-and-can-you-provide-examples/.
stats writer. "How do you report Pearson’s r in APA format, and can you provide examples?." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 2024. https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-do-you-report-pearsons-r-in-apa-format-and-can-you-provide-examples/.
stats writer (2024) 'How do you report Pearson’s r in APA format, and can you provide examples?', PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Available at: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-do-you-report-pearsons-r-in-apa-format-and-can-you-provide-examples/.
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