Research indicates the people who suffer from depression also tend to experience insomnia. However, it is unclear whether the depression causes insomnia or the lack of sleep causes depression. This is an example of the ____.
A) directionality problem
B) third-variable problem
C) extraneous variable problem
D) manipulation check problem

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The directionality problem refers to the difficulty in determining the direction of a cause-effect relationship. In this case, it is unclear whether depression causes insomnia or if insomnia causes depression. This is a common issue in correlational research where variables are only measured and not manipulated. It is not the third-variable problem as there is no specific third variable proposed that may be influencing both depression and insomnia. It is also not the extraneous variable problem as extraneous variables are variables that were not intended to be part of the study but have an influence on the outcome. Finally, it is not the manipulation check problem as there is no manipulation of an independent variable to check if it had the intended effect.

Research Indicates the People Who Suffer from Depression Also Tend