Based on the provided text's definition of non-causal statistical relationships, explain why Sarah's study is classified as non-experimental and why she cannot use her results to conclude that high verbal intelligence causes high mathematical intelligence.
Case context: A student researcher, Sarah, plans to examine the relationship between verbal intelligence and mathematical intelligence among college freshmen. She administers two separate intelligence tests to 100 participants and intends to calculate the correlation coefficient between the scores without altering any testing conditions or participant characteristics.
Question: Based on the provided text's definition of non-causal statistical relationships, explain why Sarah's study is classified as non-experimental and why she cannot use her results to conclude that high verbal intelligence causes high mathematical intelligence.
Sample answer: Sarah's study is non-experimental because she is only measuring and determining if two naturally occurring variables (verbal and mathematical intelligence scores) are statistically associated. She cannot conclude that verbal intelligence causes mathematical intelligence because her non-experimental approach does not manipulate an independent variable, which is necessary to establish that one form of intelligence causes changes in the other.
Key points:
- The study is non-experimental because it only measures if naturally occurring variables are statistically associated.
- No independent variable is manipulated in the study.
- A causal relationship cannot be established because the design does not show that one form of intelligence causes changes in the other.
Rubric: Grading Rubric: - 5 points: Explains that the study is non-experimental because it only measures naturally occurring variables to see if they are statistically associated without manipulation. - 5 points: Explains that causality cannot be established because she is not manipulating an independent variable.
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
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