The major limitation of correlational studies is that
A) the findings do not provide information about how people behave outside the laboratory.
B) the findings do not reveal relationships between participants' characteristics and their behavior.
C) researchers cannot make inferences about cause and effect.
D) the results cannot be generalized to other people and settings.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The major limitation of correlational studies is that researchers cannot make inferences about cause and effect. Correlational studies can only identify relationships between variables, but cannot establish which variable causes the other. Therefore, correlational findings do not provide information about the direction of the relationship or the underlying mechanisms.

The Major Limitation of Correlational Studies Is That