Correlational research involves measuring associations and establishing relationships of two or more variables. Concisely, the design helps research and establish how one variable relates to each other, including the predictor and outcome variables. This relationship helps define cause-and-effect relationships and can be used to predict future events, as seen through outcome variables. Correlational design can be achieved through observation, conducting surveys, and using archival research (Stangor, 2011) . For instance, observational correlation research can be used in a classroom to establish how student attendance can affect student’s grades. Survey correlational research can be used in cases such as establishing a relationship between divorce rates and people living together, to mention a few.
Notable advantages of the correlational design are that it allows for the testing of variables and helps predict future behavior and outcomes of any event and hypothesis. Moreover, researchers can establish relationships of numerous variables, thus acquiring the degree of association and direction of a positive relationship established. These strengths help in the development of comprehensive, conclusive, and detailed research (Goodwin, 2016) . On the other hand, a correlational research design is limited when establishing and drawing inferences on cause-and-effect relationships. Besides, assumptions on the causal relationships cannot be drawn, due to the possibility of misleading strong or weak correlations. A lack of correlation does not mean a lack of causal relations due to the possibility of a non-linear relationship (Goodwin, 2016) .
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Information acquired through correlational design helps provide data to develop hypotheses, patterns, and validity of tests. For instance, a study in psychology integrating a correlational research design includes when a researcher hypothesis that watching violent films results in aggressive behaviors among children (Goodwin, 2016) . Using correlational design can help establish any cause-and-effect relation between watching violent movies, which is a predictive variable with aggressive behavior, an outcome behavior (Stangor, 2011) . Test results here can develop either liner or non-liner relationships, depending on the strength of variables established. Overly, the results help predict future behavior among children watching violent films. However, this example presents a significant weakness of the design approach, as alternate relational possibilities are possible, making the design incapacitated to conclude.
References
Goodwin, C. J. (2016). Research In Psychology Methods and Design. New York: Wiley Publishers.
Stangor, C. (2011). Research methods for the behavioral sciences (4th ed.). Mountain View, CA: Cengage.
