A human resources researcher investigated the relationship between the noise level in different departments of a large manufacturing firm and the productivity of the employees working there.
Over a period of two weeks, the researcher measured the average daily ambient noise level (in dBA) in 15 different departments. At the end of this period, the employees in each department completed a standardised productivity assessment, yielding a mean department productivity score ranging from 0 (extremely low productivity) to 100 (extremely high productivity).
The researcher correlated each department's average daily ambient noise level with its mean productivity score. The results are shown in Figure 1 below.
Figure 1: Scattergram showing the relationship between average ambient noise level and mean productivity score
| Average ambient noise level (dBA) | Average employee productivity score |
|---|---|
| 43 | 93 |
| 46 | 86 |
| 51 | 79 |
| 55 | 72 |
| 58 | 66 |
| 61 | 59 |
| 64 | 53 |
| 66 | 47 |
| 69 | 41 |
| 71 | 36 |
| 74 | 30 |
| 77 | 24 |
| 81 | 17 |
| 84 | 11 |
| 87 | 6 |
Outline the type of relationship shown in Figure 1 and suggest why it would not be appropriate for the researcher to conclude that higher noise levels cause a decrease in employee productivity.
Correlations Questions
Practise AQA A Level Psychology Correlations with exam-style questions for A Level Psychology. 30 questions, matched to the AQA A Level Psychology (7182) specification and written in Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 3 style. Every question includes a full worked solution and mark scheme, so you can see where marks are awarded rather than just whether you got the answer right.