If a study shows that as hours studied increases, test scores increase, the relationship is called a

• A. Inverse Relationship
• B. Direct Relationship
• C. Correlation
• D. Causation

Answer: (B)

When two variables move in the same direction, as one increases, the other increases as well. That is a direct (positive) relationship. In this example, more hours studied is associated with higher test scores, so the relationship is best described as direct because the variables rise together.

Causation would require proving that studying causes the higher scores, which this statement alone does not establish. A correlation describes the existence and strength of a relationship, but labeling it a direct relationship emphasizes the clear positive direction between the two variables. An inverse relationship would be the opposite (one increases while the other decreases), which isn’t what’s observed here.