Ecological correlation

In statistics, an ecological correlation (also spatial correlation) is a correlation between two variables that
are group means, in contrast to a correlation between two variables that describe individuals.[1] For
example, one might study the correlation between physical activity and weight among sixth-grade children.
A study at the individual level might make use of 100 children, then measure both physical activity and
weight; the correlation between the two variables would be at the individual level. By contrast, another
study might make use of 100 classes of sixth-grade students, then measure the mean physical activity and
the mean weight of each of the 100 classes. A correlation between these group means would be an example
of an ecological correlation.

Because a correlation describes the measured strength of a relationship, correlations at the group level can
be much higher than those at the individual level. Thinking both are equal is an example of ecological
fallacy.[2]

See also
General topics

Ecological regression
Geographic information science
Spatial autocorrelation
Complete spatial randomness
Modifiable areal unit problem

Specific applications

Spatial epidemiology
Spatial econometrics

References
1. Robinson, W. S. (1950). "Ecological Correlations and the Behavior of Individuals". American
Sociological Review. 15 (3): 351–357. JSTOR 2087176 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/208717
6).
2. Vogt, W. Paul; Johnson, R. Burke (2011). Dictionary of Statistics & Methodology: A
Nontechnical Guide for the Social Sciences (https://books.google.com/books?id=9jHYSm_8
Fz4C&pg=PA119). Sage. p. 119. ISBN 978-1-4522-3659-9.

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