Orthogonality

When someone says that orthogonality exists, the statement refers to the assumption of a correlation among two or more elements. An orthogonal relationship assumes that there exists no correlation or relationship among or between the elements involved. The question of whether or not a correlation exists plays an important consideration in research and carries a number of implications.

Orthogonality remains an important characteristic when establishing a measurement, design or analysis, or empirical characteristic. The assumption that the two variables or outcomes are uncorrelated remains an important element of statistical analysis as well as theoretical thinking. The importance of orthogonality in research is an assumption that either is generated mathematically, assumed as part of the design, or established empirically. In each case, the importance ...