Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
4.5 Relationships Between Explanatory and Dependent
Va r i a b l e s
Further explanatory analysis is based upon the correlation matrix which is shown in
Table 4.5. In the preceding sections there have been suggested some possible factors
and public opinion tendencies that can contribute to an explanation of the systematic
differentiations in the above-specified perceptions of environmental issues and the
priorities of EU regional policies. Table 4.5 provides the correlations (Pearson corre-
lation coefficients) across the 27 Member States between two structural explanatory
variables (GDP per capita in purchasing power standards in 2006 and the number
of years of EU membership in 2007) and scores on the seven dimensions of public
opinion specified with the help of the principal component analyses in the preceding
sections. It has already been indicated that following earlier theoretical considera-
tions the scores on the specified dimensions of the negative view of globalisation
(see Table 4.1) and the post-materialist value orientation (see Table 4.2) are also
used as explanatory variables.
The correlations given in Table 4.5 clearly demonstrate that some estimated
relationships are substantial and also interesting in view of the earlier theoretical
considerations. There are obviously zero correlations between the fifth and sixth
dependent variables and between the seventh, eighth and ninth dependent vari-
ables because these two groups of component scores belong to the uncorrelated
versions of the principle component analyses summarised in Tables 4.3 and 4.4.
The relationships shown in Table 4.5 seem to allow the following interpretation.
Firstly, it is of little surprise that the GDP variable and the variable number of
years of EU membership are significantly correlated (Pearson correlation coefficient
Table 4.5 Correlations between explanatory and dependent variables (Pearson correlation coeffi-
cients) (Sources: see Tables 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 and 4.4)
Indicators
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
(1) GDP per capita (in PPS)
in 2006
1.00
(2) Years of EU
membership in 2007
0.68
1.00
(3) PCA score negative
view of globalisation
0.54
0.54
1.00
(4) PCA score
post-materialist values
0.55
0.43
0.50
1.00
(5) PCA score worried
about climate change
0.56
0.39
0.66
0.69
1.00
(6) PCA score concerns on
landscapes, etc.
0.29
0.62
0.10
0.38
0.00 1.00
(7) PCA score regional
policy - innovation
0.38
0.44
0.34
0.01
0.37 0.05
1.00
(8) PCA score regional
policy - welfare state
0.34
0.26
0.42
0.65
0.57 0.07
0.00
1.00
(9) PCA score regional
policy - infrastructure
0.25
0.41
0.46
0.28
0.19 0.37
0.00
0.00
1.00
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search