What term describes the correlation between two variables while controlling for a third variable?

The term that describes the correlation between two variables while controlling for a third variable is partial correlation. This statistical method enables the researcher to assess the relationship between two primary variables by taking into account the influence of an additional variable. By controlling for the third variable, partial correlation helps isolate the specific relationship of interest, allowing for a clearer understanding of how the two variables relate to each other without the influence of the confounding factor.

In contrast, simple correlation assesses the direct relationship between two variables without accounting for any other variables, which can lead to misleading interpretations if additional influences are present. Bivariate correlation refers to the correlation between two variables, similar to simple correlation, without any control for extraneous factors. Multivariate correlation involves examining relationships among three or more variables, but it does not specifically capture the effect of controlling one variable while assessing the correlation between two others. This distinction makes partial correlation the appropriate term for the situation described.