A retrospective study may be used to show cause and effect.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Retrospective studies are observational studies that look back in time to examine the relationship between an exposure or treatment and an outcome. While they can be useful for generating hypotheses, they cannot establish cause and effect relationships as they lack the manipulation of a variable that is necessary for establishing causation. Therefore, retrospective studies cannot show cause and effect.

A Retrospective Study May Be Used to Show Cause and Effect