Short Answer

Imagine you are designing a study to investigate the relationship between student self-esteem and school achievement (GPAs). Apply the principles of correlational research to explain how you would measure both variables, and describe one specific action you must avoid to ensure the study remains correlational.

Question: Imagine you are designing a study to investigate the relationship between student self-esteem and school achievement (GPAs). Apply the principles of correlational research to explain how you would measure both variables, and describe one specific action you must avoid to ensure the study remains correlational.

Sample answer: To conduct a correlational study, I would measure students' self-esteem using a standardized survey and obtain their GPAs from academic records. I must avoid introducing any treatment or intervention, such as a workshop designed to raise self-esteem, as this would manipulate a variable and turn the study into an experiment.

Key points:

  • Measure self-esteem and GPA without manipulating them.
  • Avoid implementing any intervention or treatment program.
  • Observe how the variables naturally occur to determine if they are statistically related.

Rubric: Award 1 point for describing a valid method of measuring both variables (self-esteem and GPA) without intervention. Award 1 point for identifying a specific experimental action to avoid, such as manipulating self-esteem or randomly assigning students to groups.

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Updated 2026-05-27

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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU

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