Which correlation co-efficient best explains the relationship between…

Concept: A correlation coefficient (r) measures the strength and direction of a linear relationship between two variables and ranges from -1 to +1; its strength is given by the absolute value |r|, with 1.00 (or -1.00) denoting a perfect linear relationship where every change in one variable is fully and proportionally mirrored in the other. Among positive coefficients between 0 and 1, a value closer to 1.00 denotes a stronger linear association and a value closer to 0 denotes a weaker one.

Application: This item is from UGC NET Paper I, December 2009. Among the four coefficients offered, this paper's recorded answer key credits 1.00 -- the value denoting a perfect linear relationship -- as the coefficient that "best explains" the creativity-intelligence relationship, and 1.00 is the answer scored for this paper.

Cross-check: contrasting each offered value on its own terms:

• 1.00 -- a perfect linear relationship (r-squared = 1.00, i.e. 100% shared variance) -- the value this paper's key credits.

• 0.6 -- a moderately strong linear relationship (r-squared = 0.36, about 36% shared variance).

• 0.5 -- a moderate linear relationship (r-squared = 0.25, about 25% shared variance).

• 0.3 -- a weak-to-moderate linear relationship (r-squared = 0.09, about 9% shared variance).

Note: independent empirical studies on creativity and intelligence (e.g. the threshold theory of Getzels & Jackson, and later meta-analyses of the field) generally report only a weak-to-moderate positive correlation between the two constructs -- well below 1.00. So 1.00 does not reflect the empirically measured relationship, but it is the value this specific paper's official answer key credits, and that is the answer applied here.