On the basis of 2200 small (10–100) samples obtained from four random number populations, it is shown that the rank correlation coefficient, ρ, is as adequate a measure of concordance as the Pearson product-moment correlation, r. The samples were obtained by using pseudo-random linear and normal number generators for bivariate populations with expected correlation coefficients, rp, of 0.0 and 0.5. The sampling distributions for ρ and r appear so similar that one may conclude that at least 95% of the values of |ρ - r| should lie within one standard error of r. It is suggested that geophysicists may benefit from the speed of calculating ρ when a rapid and objective measure of concordance is sought.
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O’Brien et al. (1965) studied this question.