Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-g4j75 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-07T19:00:46.893Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Significance of Rank difference Coefficients of Correlation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2025

G. R. Thornton
G. R. Thornton*
Affiliation:
Purdue University
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The coefficients of rank difference correlation that are barely significant at six different levels of significance are given for N's of 2 to 30. Most of the values were obtained by translation of Olds' tables of probabilities for various values of Σd2. Comparison of these data with those obtained by four other methods indicates that one method yields values more appropriate than those obtained from Olds' data for coefficients significant at the .01 level for N's from 11 to 25. This method also provides a convenient means of obtaining approximate values of coefficients significant at the .01 level for N's above 30. Need for caution in evaluating the significance of coefficients obtained from data involving tie rankings is indicated. The article concludes with recommendations as to choice of methods of determining the significance of rank difference coefficients.

Type
Original Paper
Information
Psychometrika , Volume 8 , Issue 4 , December 1943 , pp. 211 - 222
Copyright
Copyright © 1943 The Psychometric Society

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

DuBois, P. H. Formulas and tables for rank correlation. Psychol. Rec., 1939, 3, 46–56.Google Scholar
Guilford, J. P. Fundamental statistics in psychology and education, New York: McGraw-Hill, 1942.Google Scholar
Hotelling, H. and Pabst, M. Rank correlation and tests of significance involving no assumption of normality. Ann. math. Statist., 1936, 7, 29–43.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kendall, M. G. and Kendall, S. F. H. Smith, B. B. The distribution of Spearman's coefficient of rank correlation in a universe in which all rankings occur an equal number of times. Biometrika, 1938, 30, 251–273.Google Scholar
Olds, E. G. Distributions of sums of squares of rank differences for small numbers of individuals. Ann. math. Statist., 1938, 9, 133–148.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wallace, H. A. and Snedecor, G. W. Correlation and machine calculation, Ames, Iowa: Iowa State College, 1931.Google Scholar