A The expectation of the sampling distribution of Pearson's correlation

Click For Summary
The expectation of the sampling distribution of the Pearson product moment correlation coefficient is not always equal to the population correlation coefficient, particularly when sample sizes are small. The shape of this distribution is influenced by the sample size and the joint distribution of the variables involved. For very small samples, such as those with only two data points, the correlation may not accurately reflect the population correlation. This highlights the importance of considering both sample size and distribution characteristics when interpreting correlation coefficients. Overall, the relationship between sample size and the accuracy of the correlation estimate is crucial in statistical analysis.
Ad VanderVen
Messages
169
Reaction score
13
TL;DR
The shape of the sampling distribution of the Pearson product moment correlation coefficient depends on the size of the sample. Is the expectation of the sampling distribution of the Pearson product moment correlation coefficient always equal to the population correlation coefficient, regardless of the sample size?
The shape of the sampling distribution of the Pearson product moment correlation coefficient depends on the size of the sample. Is the expectation of the sampling distribution of the Pearson product moment correlation coefficient always equal to the population correlation coefficient, regardless of the sample size?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Ad VanderVen said:


The shape of the sampling distribution of the Pearson product moment correlation coefficient depends on the size of the sample.

Doesn't it also depend on the joint distribution of the variables involved?

Ad VanderVen said:
Is the expectation of the sampling distribution of the Pearson product moment correlation coefficient always equal to the population correlation coefficient, regardless of the sample size?

No, not according to the first paragraphs of https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2403&context=jmasm. However, I haven't read the entire article.
 
Consider the case of a sample of 2 data points.
 
Hello, I'm joining this forum to ask two questions which have nagged me for some time. They both are presumed obvious, yet don't make sense to me. Nobody will explain their positions, which is...uh...aka science. I also have a thread for the other question. But this one involves probability, known as the Monty Hall Problem. Please see any number of YouTube videos on this for an explanation, I'll leave it to them to explain it. I question the predicate of all those who answer this...