Research question: Does the amount of money Penn State World Campus students spend on a first date impact the likelihood of a second date? Researchers investigated the dating behaviors among Penn State World Campus students. To facilitate this, they placed an advertisement on a widely used dating application, seeking volunteers to participate in an anonymous survey. The survey is designed to collect data on two variables: the total monetary expenditure (in dollars) of the participants' most recent first date and the outcome regarding a second date (yes/no). 86 Penn State World Campus students completed the survey. Question 1 Is this an observational or experimental study? Explain how you determined this. Edit pts View

This is an observational study because the researchers are not manipulating any variables or assigning participants to different conditions. Instead, they are simply collecting data on participants' experiences regarding their dating behaviors. By using a survey to gather information on how much money was spent on first dates and whether a second date occurred, the researchers are observing and documenting existing behaviors without intervening or altering the circumstances of the participants' dates. Furthermore, observational studies allow researchers to identify patterns and trends without the ethical concerns or logistical complexities often associated with experiments. This type of research is particularly useful in social sciences where controlling all variables can be challenging.