The rank correlation coefficient as an indicator of the product-moment correlation coefficient for small samples (10-100)

On the basis of 2200 small (10–100) samples obtained from four random number populations, it is shown that the rank correlation coefficient, ρ, is as adequate a measure of concordance as the Pearson product-moment correlation, r. The samples were obtained by using pseudo-random linear and normal number generators for bivariate populations with expected correlation coefficients, rp, of 0.0 and 0.5.…