2. It is the systematic investigation of
relationships among two or more
variables, without necessarily determining cause
and effect.
3. Relational studies
ex: Exists a relationship between the time
that students spend on Internet chatting
the night before an exam and the
scores that they get.
Prediction studies
ex: the next grades of the students are
going to be similar to the last exam
(according to the first example)
7. Question
• Do student grades relate to whether
they are “morning people”?
Method
The researchers correlated two kinds of
variables
• Grades in early and late classes
• Scores on a scale of “morningness” (13-
item inventory)
8.
9. Result
There was a modest, significant, correlation
between morningness and grades at 8:00
a.m., r= 0,1
Students who were not morning people did
less well at 8:00 and performed better in
later classes.
CONCLUSION?
10. The pattern did not hold for classes
starting at 9:00 or later. So even
“evening people” can do well in
early classes.
The study is correlational, so we do
not know if being a morning person
is the cause of better grades in the
morning
12. Clarke, R. J. (2005) Research Methodologies
Smith, C. S., Reilly, C., & Midkiff, K. (1989).
Evaluation of three circadian rhythm
questionnaires with suggestions for an improved
measure of morningness. Journal of Applied
Psychology, 74, 728-738