If an increase in one variable causes a decrease in another variable, this is known as a negative relationship.
In statistics and research, a negative relationship (also called an inverse relationship) occurs when two variables move in opposite directions. This means that as one variable increases, the other variable decreases, and vice versa. For example, the relationship between the amount of time spent studying and the number of errors made on a test is often negative: as study time increases, the number of errors tends to decrease.
Understanding the type of relationship between variables is crucial in fields like economics, psychology, and biology, as it helps in predicting outcomes and making informed decisions.