{"title":"A gain-probability way to interpret correlation coefficients: A tutorial.","authors":"David Trafimow","doi":"10.1037/met0000798","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The interpretation of correlation coefficients has invoked considerable discussion over many decades. One interpretive procedure is to use the coefficient of determination-the squared correlation coefficient-to index variance accounted for in one variable by variance in the other variable. A second interpretive procedure is to construct binomial effect size displays that involve dichotomizing continuous dependent variables. The present goal is to present a third interpretive procedure, with tutorial, to estimate probabilistic (dis)advantages implied by correlation coefficients and construct gain-probability diagrams. The proposed procedure does not involve dichotomizing continuous dependent variables, thereby losing information. In addition, the proposed procedure extends well to comparing correlation coefficients and facilitates subtle and nuanced implications that can enhance theoretical specificity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).</p>","PeriodicalId":20782,"journal":{"name":"Psychological methods","volume":" ","pages":"271-280"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5000,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Psychological methods","FirstCategoryId":"102","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1037/met0000798","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/10/27 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PSYCHOLOGY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The interpretation of correlation coefficients has invoked considerable discussion over many decades. One interpretive procedure is to use the coefficient of determination-the squared correlation coefficient-to index variance accounted for in one variable by variance in the other variable. A second interpretive procedure is to construct binomial effect size displays that involve dichotomizing continuous dependent variables. The present goal is to present a third interpretive procedure, with tutorial, to estimate probabilistic (dis)advantages implied by correlation coefficients and construct gain-probability diagrams. The proposed procedure does not involve dichotomizing continuous dependent variables, thereby losing information. In addition, the proposed procedure extends well to comparing correlation coefficients and facilitates subtle and nuanced implications that can enhance theoretical specificity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
期刊介绍：
Psychological Methods is devoted to the development and dissemination of methods for collecting, analyzing, understanding, and interpreting psychological data. Its purpose is the dissemination of innovations in research design, measurement, methodology, and quantitative and qualitative analysis to the psychological community; its further purpose is to promote effective communication about related substantive and methodological issues. The audience is expected to be diverse and to include those who develop new procedures, those who are responsible for undergraduate and graduate training in design, measurement, and statistics, as well as those who employ those procedures in research.
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