Sample size to estimate the Pearson correlation coefficient among characters of Crambe abyssinica

Abstract

It is important to dimension correctly the sample size, to estimate the Pearson correlation coefficient among pairs of characters, with acceptable reliability. The aim of this research was to determine the sample size (number of plants) to estimate the Pearson correlation coefficient among 21 characters of crambe (Crambe abyssinica Hochst). An experiment was conducted in the year 2008. At harvest, 75 plants were selected randomly and measured 21 characters. The measures of central tendency, variability, skewness and kurtosis, were done. Normality was verified and investigated the linearity among the characters. The sample size to estimate the Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated, for the amplitude of the confidence interval of 95%, equal to: 0.15; 0.20; 0.25; 0.30; 0.35 and 0.40, for each of 210 pairs of characters. For the 210 characters pairs of crambe, the sample size to estimate the Pearson correlation coefficient, to the amplitude of the confidence interval of 95% equal to 0.15, ranged from 8 to 665 plants.