Correlational research has which of the following ...

[j.rubin]

Correlational research has which of the following characteristics? (Select all that apply.)
 
  a. Examines the strength of a relationship, to determine causality
  b. Allows independent variables to be manipulated
  c. Examines relationships among existing variables
  d. Is always used to generate rather than test hypotheses
  e. Examines differences under at least two conditions
  f. Is non-interventional

Question 2

A nurse notes that of her clients with multiple tattoos, many are missing quite a few of their teeth. She designs a study to measure causation. Why is this problematic? (Select all that apply.)
 
  a. Tattooing can be expensive.
  b. Causing subjects to become multiply tattooed, so as to cause their teeth to fall out, is ethically questionable.
  c. Random assignment to group would be impossible.
  d. The researcher cannot cause subjects' teeth to fall out; that would be ethically questionable.
  e. The study would have to be designed as a large-sample, multisite design.

[dlook33]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: C, F
Descriptive and correlational research are both non-interventional, in that the researcher does not do anything to the research subjects except measure them. No attempt is made to control or manipulate the situation. Correlational study designs examine the degree of relationship between or among variables. Neophyte researchers tend to make two serious errors with correlational studies. First, they often attempt to establish causality by correlation, reasoning that if two variables are related, one must cause the other. Second, they confuse studies in which differences are examined with studies in which relationships are examined. Although the existence of a difference assumes the existence of a relationship, the design and statistical analysis of studies examining differences are not the same as those examining relationships.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: B, D
Quasi-experimental and experimental designs examine causality. The power of the design to accomplish this purpose depends on the extent to which the actual effects of the experimental treatment (the independent variable) can be detected by measuring the dependent variable. Not every correlational observation lends itself to an experimental design, because in an experimental design the researcher must cause one of the events to happen, in order to examine its effect on the other variable. This has obvious ethical implications. The principle of beneficence requires the researcher to do good and above all, do no harm.

[j.rubin]

TYSM

[Dominic]

Excellent