The way to determine if a study is correlational rather than experimental is that
A) a causal relationship exists between the variables.
B) researchers cannot control the variables under study.
C) the subjects must constitute a representative sample.
D) control of one variable interferes with control of another variable.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Correlational studies are observational in nature and do not involve manipulation of variables. Therefore, researchers cannot control the variables they are studying, which is the distinguishing factor between correlational and experimental designs. Option A is incorrect because correlational designs do not establish causality between variables. Option C is not necessarily true as representative sampling can be used in both correlational and experimental designs. Option D is common in experimental designs but not necessarily a defining feature.

The Way to Determine If a Study Is Correlational Rather