Correlation for scale variables is often assessed using the Pearson correlation coefficient, denoted as $$ r $$, which measures the linear relationship between two continuous variables (Statology, n.d.; Scribbr, n.d.). The value of $$ r $$ ranges from -1 to 1, where -1 indicates a perfect negative linear correlation, 0 indicates no linear correlation, and 1 indicates a perfect positive linear correlation (Statology, n.d.). When reporting the Pearson correlation in APA format, it is essential to include the strength and direction of the relationship, the degrees of freedom (calculated as $$ N – 2 $$), and the p-value to determine statistical significance (PsychBuddy, n.d.; Statistics Solutions, n.d.). For example, a significant positive correlation might be reported as $$ r(38) = .48, p = .002 $$, indicating a moderate positive relationship between the variables studied (Statology, n.d.; Scribbr, n.d.). It is crucial to italicize $$ r $$, omit leading zeros in both $$ r $$ and p-values, and round these values to two and three decimal places, respectively (Scribbr, n.d.; Statistics Solutions, n.d.).
References
PsychBuddy. (n.d.). Results Tip! How to Report Correlations. Retrieved from https://www.psychbuddy.com.au/post/correlation
Scribbr. (n.d.). Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r) | Guide & Examples. Retrieved from https://www.scribbr.com/statistics/pearson-correlation-coefficient/
Scribbr. (n.d.). Reporting Statistics in APA Style | Guidelines & Examples. Retrieved from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-style/numbers-and-statistics/
Statology. (n.d.). How to Report Pearson’s r in APA Format (With Examples). Retrieved from https://www.statology.org/how-to-report-pearson-correlation/
Statistics Solutions. (n.d.). Reporting Statistics in APA Format. Retrieved from https://www.statisticssolutions.com/reporting-statistics-in-apa-format/
Citations:
[1] https://www.statology.org/how-to-report-pearson-correlation/
[2] https://www.scribbr.com/statistics/pearson-correlation-coefficient/
[3] https://www.psychbuddy.com.au/post/correlation
[4] https://www.statisticssolutions.com/reporting-statistics-in-apa-format/
[5] https://www.socscistatistics.com/tutorials/correlation/default.aspx
[6] https://www.scribbr.com/apa-style/numbers-and-statistics/
[7] https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/tables-figures/sample-tables
[8] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCf0YYVLKTU