In the context of correlations, what does a coefficient of -1 indicate?

Study for the Missouri Educator Gateway Assessments (MEGA) Counselor Test. Prepare with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question has hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

A correlation coefficient of -1 indicates a strong negative relationship between two variables. This means that as one variable increases, the other variable decreases in a consistent manner. The strength of the relationship is such that it reflects a perfect inverse association, where the data points form a straight line with a negative slope on a graph.

For instance, if you were to analyze the relationship between temperature and the need for heating in a home, you might find that as the temperature rises, the demand for heating decreases. A coefficient of -1 would suggest that this relationship is not just strong, but perfectly inversely proportional across the dataset, implying no exceptions or deviations from this trend.

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