Well I have this unique problem, where 2 variables were collected at different ages of the same subject. Now, if I want to find a correlation between those 2 variables, factoring out the age. What would be the best way to do it?
In order to answer this question/problem, several remarks have to be studied.
1. My first question is what are your questions/hypotheses?
2. How did you collected the data?
3. General remarks:
Research studies are usually carried out on sample of subjects rather than whole populations. The most challenging aspect of fieldwork is drawing a random sample from the target population to which the results of the study would be generalized. The key to a good sample is that it has to be typical of the population from which it is drawn. When the information from a sample is not typical of that in the population in a systematic way, we say that error has occurred. In actual practice, the task is so difficult that several types of errors, i.e. sampling error, non-sampling error, Response error, Processing error,…
In addition, the most important error is the Sampling error, which is statistically defined as the error caused by observing a sample instead of the whole population. The underlying principle that must be followed if we are to have any hope of making inferences from a sample to a population is that the sample be representative of that population. A key way of achieving this is through the use of “randomization”. There several types of random samples, Some of which are: Simple Random Sampling, Stratified Random Sampling, Double-stage Random Sampling... Moreover, the most important sample is the simple random sample which is a sample selected in such a way that every possible sample of the same size is equally likely to be chosen. In order to reduce the sampling error, the simple random sample technique and a large sample size have to be developed.
4. Specific remarks:
The following factors are highly affected the sample size and need to be identified:
Population Size,
Margin of Error,
· Confidence Level (level of significance) and
Standard of Deviation.
5.Then, the sample size can be estimated by,
Necessary Sample Size = (z-score or t-value)2 * StdDev*(1-StdDev) / (margin of error)2 .
6. Based on the sample size of each random variable, you should selected parameteric or nonparametric tests.
7. In order to get good results by using appropriate measures, the above remarks need to be satisfied.
8. Developing any measure/test is not a difficult task. Please refer to:
. Landau, S. and Everitt, B. S.(2004). A Handbook of Statistical analyses using SPSS.
.Howitt, D. and Cramer, D.(2008). Introduction to SPSS.
Simply comparing the two sets of data of the two different ages factors out the age effects. If you want to find a correlation between the two variables, pair the variables on individual basis for that purpose. That leaves out individual effects too.