What is the primary reason that descriptive and correlational research cannot determine conclusively that variables have a cause-and-effect relationship

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Descriptive and correlational research cannot determine causation because the researcher cannot control events or manipulate variables. In these types of studies, the researcher only observes and measures variables as they naturally occur, which means that there may be other factors that are influencing the relationship between the variables being studied. Therefore, a cause-and-effect relationship cannot be established with certainty.

What Is the Primary Reason That Descriptive and Correlational Research