---
slug: "Correlation"
name: "Correlation"
type: "Data Structures"
layer: "Infrastructure"
ref: "Correlation#3bd8"
sema_id: "sema:Correlation#mh:SHA-256:3bd8ecb518efc816c4c986e434afb9b2c3d3801b8099e008c15b70e305bd3043"
tags: ["Infrastructure","Data Structures"]
updated: 2026-11-11
mindscape: "bootstrap"
index_url: https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/index.json
url: https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Correlation/
related: ["Causation","Variable","DataMinimization","SomaticMarker"]
---

# Correlation

Normalized statistical association; no causal conclusion by itself

Layer: Infrastructure · Category: Data Structures

## Mechanism

A normalized measure of statistical association between two [Variable](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Variable.md)s under a selected correlation method. The coefficient lies in [-1, 1] and is interpreted according to that method. Correlation alone neither establishes nor rules out [Causation](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Causation.md), its direction, or an intervention effect.

## Invariants

- The coefficient lies in [-1, 1].
- The correlation alone establishes neither the presence nor absence of [Causation](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Causation.md), its direction, nor an intervention effect, regardless of coefficient magnitude.

## Failure modes

- Causal overreach: the result alone is used to assert a causal relation, its absence or direction, or an intervention effect.
- Source ambiguity: direct causation, reverse causation, confounding, and selection can produce similar coefficients, which correlation alone cannot distinguish.
- Method blindness: dependence outside the selected method's sensitivity yields a weak coefficient that is read as independence.

## Data schema

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "variable_a",
    "variable_b",
    "coefficient"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "variable_a": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "First variable ID"
    },
    "variable_b": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Second variable ID"
    },
    "coefficient": {
      "type": "number",
      "minimum": -1,
      "maximum": 1,
      "description": "Normalized correlation coefficient [-1, 1] under the selected method"
    },
    "p_value": {
      "type": "number",
      "description": "Statistical significance of the correlation"
    },
    "sample_size": {
      "type": "integer",
      "description": "Number of observations"
    }
  }
}
```

## Builds on

- [Causation](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Causation.md) (Physics; References)
- [Variable](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Variable.md) (Infrastructure; References)

## Used by

- [DataMinimization](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/DataMinimization.md) (Society; References)
- [SomaticMarker](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/SomaticMarker.md) (Society; References)

## Identity

- Sema ID: `sema:Correlation#mh:SHA-256:3bd8ecb518efc816c4c986e434afb9b2c3d3801b8099e008c15b70e305bd3043`
- Ref: `Correlation#3bd8`
- Supersedes:
  - `sema:Correlation#mh:SHA-256:091fbf1f3baec2028bbd64c9d2ff335ef41d9ec6ec992e1967c5bca02c777625`
  - `sema:Correlation#mh:SHA-256:3e6845523b8166fa55b82ef6ecd1ae129688fae1507fc6b4f92b9bc662936f42`

## Links

- [Pattern page](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Correlation/)
- [View in the interactive graph](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/#Correlation)
- [JSON](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Correlation.json)
- [Index of all patterns](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/index.json)