Calculating Pearson correlation and significance in Python

Question

I am looking for a function that takes as input two lists, and returns the Pearson correlation, and the significance of the correlation.

Answer 1

You can have a look at scipy.stats:

from pydoc import help
from scipy.stats.stats import pearsonr
help(pearsonr)

>>>
Help on function pearsonr in module scipy.stats.stats:

pearsonr(x, y)
 Calculates a Pearson correlation coefficient and the p-value for testing
 non-correlation.

 The Pearson correlation coefficient measures the linear relationship
 between two datasets. Strictly speaking, Pearson's correlation requires
 that each dataset be normally distributed. Like other correlation
 coefficients, this one varies between -1 and +1 with 0 implying no
 correlation. Correlations of -1 or +1 imply an exact linear
 relationship. Positive correlations imply that as x increases, so does
 y. Negative correlations imply that as x increases, y decreases.

 The p-value roughly indicates the probability of an uncorrelated system
 producing datasets that have a Pearson correlation at least as extreme
 as the one computed from these datasets. The p-values are not entirely
 reliable but are probably reasonable for datasets larger than 500 or so.

 Parameters
 ----------
 x : 1D array
 y : 1D array the same length as x

 Returns
 -------
 (Pearson's correlation coefficient,
  2-tailed p-value)

 References
 ----------
 http://www.statsoft.com/textbook/glosp.html#Pearson%20Correlation