Question: Look at the correlation matrix presented Appendix (see below) from Schreck, Fisher and Miller’s article “The Social Context of Violent Victimization: A Study of the Delinquent Peer Effect.” Justice Quarterly. 21(1), 201-224.

They used data from the first wave of the public-use version of the Add Health study, which was conducted between September 1994 and December 1995. The Add Health sample is a nationally represented sample of students attending U.S. schools in grades 7-12.

a. Overall, describe the statistical correlations among THREE PAIRS OF variables. That is, provide a brief summary of the range of correlations reported among these thirteen variables. For EACH pair of variables, discuss each of the following: 1) direction of the relationship 2) size of relationship (actual number) and 3) strength of the relationship (e.g., weak, moderate, strong).

b. Interpret the correlation between peer delinquency and age. State the correlation coefficient and interpret it BOTH statistically (direction, size, and strength) and substantively (what does it mean for example, As wealth of a teen’s HH increase, their use of alcohol decreases). Assume peer delinquency is a measure of the amount of current involvement or participation in peer delinquency. Age is measured in years (as in number of years old when survey was administered).

d. What do the correlations in the diagonal represent? Why are all these correlation coefficients one?