Definition
Positive association
Positive association means that larger values of one variable tend to go with larger values of another.
Continue from this idea into connected AXIO math.
As one tends to climb, the other tends to climb too.
Boundary: Positive association is an overall pattern in paired data; it can include exceptions and does not by itself prove that one variable causes the other.
What it means
Look at the pairs as a whole. As you move right to larger x-values, the points generally move up to larger y-values. The points do not have to make a perfect line, because association describes a tendency rather than an exact rule.
Remember it
As one tends to climb, the other tends to climb too.
Example
Three children have heights and arm spans of (130 cm, 132 cm), (140 cm, 141 cm), and (150 cm, 151 cm). The larger heights go with larger arm spans, so these paired measurements show positive association.
Watch for
Positive association is an overall pattern in paired data; it can include exceptions and does not by itself prove that one variable causes the other.
Common mix-up
Positive does not mean good; it names the upward direction of the relationship.
Exact meaning
Two variables have positive association when, across paired observations, higher values of one generally occur with higher values of the other. On a standard scatter plot, the overall pattern tends to slope upward from left to right.