What does a correlation coefficient close to +1.00 indicate?

A correlation coefficient close to +1.00 indicates a strong positive correlation between two variables. This means that as one variable increases, the other variable also tends to increase. The value of +1.00 reflects a perfect positive linear relationship, where changes in one variable predict proportional changes in the other.

In practical terms, if you were to graph the two variables, the data points would closely cluster around a straight line that slopes upward. This strong correlation suggests that the two variables are closely related, making it possible to anticipate one variable's behavior based on the other.

While the other options represent concepts with differing implications—such as negative correlation, no correlation, and weak positive correlation—they do not convey the strong, direct relationship indicated by a coefficient nearing +1.00. Thus, the understanding of correlation coefficients is essential in interpreting how variables interact within psychological research and statistics.