A correlational study:
A)examines how strongly two variables are related to one another.
B)can be used to establish a cause-and-effect relationship.
C)is no longer allowed under today's ethical guidelines.
D)has little utility, since it is merely descriptive.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Correlational studies examine the strength of the relationship between two variables. However, they cannot establish a cause-and-effect relationship since they do not manipulate or control the variables. Correlational studies are still allowed under ethical guidelines as long as participant rights are protected through informed consent and confidentiality. Correlational studies have utility for hypothesis generation and identifying potential associations between variables.

A Correlational Study