A couple of my relations, 6 years ago
A
very good question, especially because certain people—behaviorists, mostly—have
made up rules that defy good usage and elegance. First, the mistake they often
make is to say that “relations” should be used for the connection between two
variables. In behaviorism, of course, this is most commonly used in “functional
relation.” These people can’t stand “functional relationship,” even though this
is actually a better form and doesn’t clang to people who know their English.
These behaviorists think “relationship” belongs to the affiliations between
people (e.g., “the child had a good relationship with his brother”).
In
fact, a relationship has two meanings: personal affiliations (friendships,
romantic link, etc.), the way two things are connected (including variables—e.g.,
“the relationship between the predictor and the outcome” or “the correlational
relationship between Variable X and Variable Y” or “the functional relationship
between the independent and the dependent variables”). Relation also describes the
link between people (e.g., relations between teachers and students should be
nurtured). You can see that this could also be “relationships between teachers
and students….” So when discussing links between people, groups, or countries
and the way they behave towards each other (I’m quoting the BBC here), the two
terms are interchangeable. But in certain contexts “relations” is always used:
diplomatic relations, race relations. Relations can also be used
interchangeably with relatives, although that’s not as common in the U.S. as in
British-English countries.
So,
I’m afraid you’re not right about variables taking “relation,” although, as I
said, many behaviorists would agree with you—and probably statisticians too.
But if I had to pick two groups of people who like to talk fancy and who
consider themselves precise but who slaughter the language, it would be
behaviorists and statisticians. Eighty percent of the time “relationship” will
serve you well. Which one you choose depends on whose wincing you care most
about!
