ERIC Number: EJ902636
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-Dec
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1598-1037
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Correlational Analysis of Ordinal Data: From Pearson's "r" to Bayesian Polychoric Correlation
Choi, Jaehwa; Peters, Michelle; Mueller, Ralph O.
Asia Pacific Education Review, v11 n4 p459-466 Dec 2010
Correlational analyses are one of the most popular quantitative methods, yet also one of the mostly frequently misused methods in social and behavioral research, especially when analyzing ordinal data from Likert or other rating scales. Although several correlational analysis options have been developed for ordinal data, there seems to be a lack of didactically written literature illustrating the appropriate use and differences among them. The purpose of this paper is to provide a synthesis of correlational analysis options when analyzing ordinal data. These options span from the traditional methods, such as Pearson's "r", to more recent developments, such as Bayesian estimation of polychoric correlations. An illustration of these methods utilizing a contemporary dataset is provided. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)
Descriptors: Rating Scales, Item Response Theory, Correlation, Behavioral Science Research, Likert Scales, Evaluation Methods, Synthesis, Data Analysis, Bayesian Statistics, Evaluation Research, Statistical Studies, Social Science Research, Item Analysis
Springer. 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-348-4505; e-mail: service-ny@springer.com; Web site: http://www.springerlink.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A