Correlational research designs examine relationships between two or more variables without manipulating any variables. They are used to describe and measure the degree of association between variables or sets of scores. There are two main types of correlational designs: explanatory/explanation designs which examine associations between variables, and prediction designs which identify predictor variables that can anticipate outcomes. Key aspects of correlational research include scatterplots, correlation coefficients, significance testing, and multiple variable techniques like partial correlation and multiple regression.
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