Inverse Correlation Definition

Correlation is a statistical tool which measures the degree and the direction of relationship between two or more variables.Thus correlation is a statistical device which helps us in analysing the covariation of two or more variables.

Types of Correlation

Correlation is described or classified in several different ways. Three of the most important ways of classifying correlation are:
(i) Positive or Negative(Inverse)
(ii)Simple, partial and multiple.
(iii)Linear and non-linear.

Positive and Negative Correlation.
Whether correlation is positive(direct) or negative(inverse) would depend upon the direction of change of the variables. If both the variables are varying in the same direction, i.e., if as one variable is increasing the other on an average is also increasing or, if as one variable is decreasing the other on an average is also decreasing, correlation said to be positive.If, on the other hand, the variables are varying in opposite directions, i.e., as one variable is increasing the other is decreasing or vica-versa, correlation is said to be negative(Inverse).
In other words, when two variables move in the same direction they are said to be positively correlated and when two variables moves in the opposite direction they are said to be negitively correlated.
The following examples would illustrate the difference between positive and negative correlation.

1. POSITIVE CORRELATION

X     :           10        12        15        18        20               X:          80         70         60         40         30
Y     :           15        20        22        25        37               Y:          50         45         30         20         10
2.  NEGATIVE(INVERSE) CORRELATION
X     :           20        30        40        60        80               X:         100         90         60         40         30
Y     :           40        30        22        15        10               Y:           10         20         30         40         50

Inverse correlation

My forthcoming post is on Set Builder and Interval Notation and Variable Exponents will give you more understanding about Algebra.

In a inverse correlation, as the values of one of the variables increase, the values of the second variable decrease. Likewise, as the value of one of the variables decreases, the value of the other variable increases.

This is still a correlation. It is like an “inverse” correlation. The word “negative” is a label that shows the direction of the correlation.

 Here are some other examples of negative correlations:

1. Education and years in jail—people who have more years of education tend to have fewer years in jail (or phrased as people with more years in jail tend to have fewer years of education)

2. Crying and being held—among babies, those who are held more tend to cry less (or phrased as babies who are held less tend to cry more)