Title: Types of Statistical Studies (2 of 4) | Concepts in Statistics
Headings: Types of Statistical Studies (2 of 4)
Types of Statistical Studies (2 of 4)
Learning Outcomes
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Content: Types of Statistical Studies (2 of 4) | Concepts in Statistics
Types of Statistical Studies (2 of 4)
Learning Outcomes
Determine if a study is an experiment or an observational study. From a description of a statistical study, determine the goal of the study. In general, there are two types of statistical studies: observational studies and experiments. An observational study observes individuals and measures variables of interest. The main purpose of an observational study is to describe a group of individuals or to investigate an association between two variables. We can answer questions about a population with an observational study. We can also investigate a relationship between two variables. But in an observational study, researchers do not attempt to manipulate one variable to cause an effect in another variable. For this reason, an observational study does not provide convincing evidence of a cause-and-effect relationship.