A variable in common (overlap) e.g. of form r(W,X) = r(W,Z).
A test for this comparison goes under various names the Williams test, Williams-Hotelling or Hotelling test.
This can be implemented using SPSS syntax provided at http://www.utexas.edu/its/rc/answers/general/gen28.html .
An example of its use together with syntax is given below. Just cut and paste into a SPSS syntax window to use. You can also use the Williams-Hotelling test by typing equalcor at a UNIX prompt on a CBU machine.
. * Dependent Correlation Comparison Program.
* Compares correlation coefficients from the same sample.
* See Cohen & Cohen (1983), p. 57.
* Sam Field, sfield@mail.la.utexas.edu , March 1, 2000.
******** this input is inputted in the macro call at end of this syntax*********
* Three pairs of correlations to compare*****
set format f10.5.
DATA LIST free
/r12 r13 r23 nsize.
BEGIN DATA
.50 .32 .65 50
.59 .31 .71 30
.80 .72 .89 26
END DATA.
***************macro and macro call**************
**** tests if rxy=rvy and outputs a t-statistic plus one and two-tailed p-values
define williams (rxy = !tokens(1)
/rvy = !tokens(1)
/rxv = !tokens(1)
/n = !tokens(1)).
COMPUTE #diffr = !rxy - !rvy.
COMPUTE #detR = (1 - !rxy **2 - !rvy**2 - !rxv**2)+ (2*!rxy*!rxv*!rvy).
COMPUTE #rbar = (!rxy + !rvy)/2.
COMPUTE #tden = sqrt(2*((!n-1)/(!n-3))*#detR + ((#rbar**2) * ((1-!rxv)**3))).
COMPUTE t= (#tnum/#tden). COMPUTE df = !n - 3.
COMPUTE p_1_tail = 1 - CDF.T(abs(t),df). COMPUTE p_2_tail = (1 - CDF.T(abs(t),df))*2.
LIST t df p_1_tail p_2_tail.
exe.
!enddefine.
*********************
williams rxy=r12 rvy=r13 rxv=r23 n=nsize.