What is the main limitation of correlational research?

Correlational research is primarily focused on identifying the relationship between two or more variables without manipulating them. The strength of this method lies in its ability to reveal patterns and associations, such as whether an increase in one variable correlates with a decrease or increase in another. However, the inherent limitation is that it cannot determine causality.

This means that while correlational research can indicate a relationship between variables, it does not provide evidence that one variable causes changes in another. For instance, even if two variables are found to be correlated, there may be other underlying factors influencing both, or the relationship could be coincidental. This limitation is essential for researchers to understand, as misinterpreting correlation as causation can lead to erroneous conclusions and implications in their studies.

In contrast to the other options, which either misconstrue the nature of correlational research or misrepresent the conditions required for it, the main strength of understanding correlational research lies in recognizing its inability to establish definitive cause-and-effect relationships.