Explain to the student why this study is actually classified as correlational research rather than a true experiment, focusing on how the variables are handled.
Case context: A psychology student is reviewing a published article. In the study, the researcher administers the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale to 50 American college students and 50 Japanese college students. The student argues that because there are two distinct groups being compared, this must be a between-subjects experiment.
Question: Explain to the student why this study is actually classified as correlational research rather than a true experiment, focusing on how the variables are handled.
Sample answer: This study is correlational rather than experimental because the researcher did not manipulate the students' nationalities. Both the nationality of the students (a categorical variable) and their self-esteem scores (a quantitative variable) were merely measured. Because there is no manipulation of a variable, it is a correlational study.
Key points:
- Recognizes that the researcher did not manipulate the participants' nationalities.
- Identifies nationality as a categorical variable that is merely measured.
- Explains that a study comparing groups is correlational if group membership is not manipulated by the researcher.
Rubric: The answer must demonstrate comprehension by explaining that the researcher measured, rather than manipulated, the participants' nationalities, thus making it a correlational study.
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
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