Question

In a study of the relationship for senior citizens between physical activity and frequency of colds, participants were asked to monitor their weekly time spent in exercise over a five-year period and the frequency of colds. the study demonstrated that a negative statistical relation exists between time spent in exercise and frequency of colds. The investigator concluded that increasing time spent in exercise is an efficient strategy for reducing the frequency of colds for senior citizens. Were the data collected in the study observational or experimental data

Answer 1

Difference between Observational and Experimental Data

The data collected in the study is observational data.

Explanation:

In an experimental study, the data collected is divided into two groups. One group is the control group. The other group is the treatment group (also known as the experimental group). Data is gathered about the groups in order to compare their different outcomes and to draw conclusions if there is any causality based on the two variables. With observational data, the researcher is interested in observing the variables to determine if there is any correlation.