What is it?
Investigating the relationship between the IV and the DV in situations where the IV cannot be directly manipulated for ethical or practical reasons. The IV varies 'naturally' and the investigator records the effects it has on the DV. The DV may be tested in a laboratory.
Advantages
Allows research where IV cannot be manipulated for ethical or practical reasons.
Enables psychologists to studie 'real' problems such as effects of a disaster on health (increased mundame realism and ecological validity)
Disadvantages
Cannot demonstrate causal relationships because IV is not directly manipulated.
Random allocation not possible, therefore there may be confounding variables that can't be controlled (threat to internal validity)
Can only be used where conditions vary naturally
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