The Non-Experimental Method

• What is an experiment?

  An experiment is a study in which the researcher investigates a cause and effect relationship, by comparing the effect of different levels of an independent variable on the dependant variable.
• What are the three types of Non-experimental method?

  • Single variable studies
  • Correlational studies
  • Case studies
• What is a single variable study?

  Where a researcher measures a single variable
• What is a correlation?

  Where two variables share an association.
• What is a Positive correlation?

  Where one variable gets bigger the other one gets bigger
• What is a Negative correlation?

  Where one variable gets bigger, the other gets smaller
• What is a Correlational Study?

  When the researcher measures 2 variables and looks at whether they are correlated.
• correlation does not mean causation
• What are the Pros of Correlational studies?

  They are cheaper and more practical to conduct than experiments and they are less likely to be unethical.
• What are the Cons of Correlational studies?

  • doesn't tell the type of association (experiment is needed)
  • correlation doesn't mean causation
• What is a case study?

  A detailed investigation into a single individual or small group of individuals. It is usually conducted to investigate people with unusual and rare experiences, that couldn't be investigated in an experiment.
• What are the Pros of Case Studies?

  • Researchers can gather a lot of information from many different sources.
  • They provide a way to studying rare situations that researchers wouldn't be able to manipulate or investigate in an experiment or correlation study.
• What are the Cons of Case Studies?

  • we can't establish a cause-and-effect relationship
  • their experiences may not generalize to other people
  • Anonymity issues with being the only one