Why APA Style?
APA style (American Psychological Association) provides a standard format for writing research results, ensuring your findings regarding correlation results (like Pearson’s r) are:
- Clear
- Professional
- Easily interpreted by readers
🔢 Basic Format
There was a [strength, direction] correlation between Variable 1 and Variable 2,
r(df) = r-value, p = p-value.
🧪 Real Example
There was a strong positive correlation between study time and exam scores,
r(78) = .67, p < .001.
APA Template Breakdown
N - 2 = df| Component | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| r | r(78) | Correlation coefficient with degrees of freedom (N – 2) |
| = .67 | r = .67 | Effect size (strength & direction) |
| p < .001 | p = .003, p < .05 | Probability the result is due to chance |
If N = 80, then df = 78.
Interpretation & Reporting
Significant Result
There was a moderate negative correlation between stress and sleep quality,
r(98) = –.42, p = .002.
Non-significant Result
The correlation between hours watching TV and GPA was not significant,
r(55) = –.08, p = .54.
Visual Guide for Wording
| Correlation Type | APA Statement Example |
|---|---|
| Strong, Positive |
r(78) = .82, p < .001
"Strong positive correlation"
|
| Weak, Negative |
r(45) = –.18, p = .23
"Weak negative, not significant"
|
| Moderate, Positive |
r(66) = .39, p = .01
"Moderate positive, significant"
|
Summary Box
- Statistic r(78) = .45
- Significance p = .02
- Direction Positive / Negative
- Strength Weak / Moderate / Strong
- Interpretation Full sentence with context