Researchers observe the number of people who go to a bar alone on the days before and after Valentine's Day. They find that the number of people increases leading up to Valentine's Day, drops significantly on Valentine's Day, and then rises quickly back up again on the day afterwards. This is best conceptualized as an example of:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is an example of field research, as the researchers observed and analyzed the behavior and trends of people in a real-world setting (a bar) over a specific period of time (the days before and after Valentine's Day). This study was not experimental in nature because the researchers did not manipulate any variables, nor was it longitudinal because it did not involve tracking the same people over a longer period of time. It also was not pilot research, since it was not conducted as a preliminary study to inform the design of a larger-scale research project.

Researchers Observe the Number of People Who Go to a Bar