Question

In a correlational study, we measure participants’ creativity and their intelligence, (a) How would you determine which variable to call X? (b) In a different study, my title is “Creativity as a function of Intelligence.” Which variable is my X variable? Why?

Answer 1

a.

Generally in correlational studies there is no dependent and independent variable. But in some correlational study we use regression. Here independent variable X is the variable which can explain the variations in the Y variable. Hence here X is the creativity variable as that can explain the variations in intelligence.

b.

"Creativity as a function of Intelligence"

Here Intelligence is the X variable as Creativity is the function of Intelligence, i.e we predict the creativity through the independent variable X, intelligence.