Why aren't all causal studies done as experimental studies, rather than non-experimental studies?
Sometimes the effect is not desired. What causes murders? What causes ?
what causes child molestation? Does one want to do causal experimentation?
Not all causal studies are done as experimental studies for several reasons:
1. Ethical Concerns: Some causal questions involve studying behaviors or events that are unethical or harmful to intentionally manipulate or create in an experimental setting. For example, studying the causes of murder, , or child molestation would require exposing individuals to these terrible events, which is ethically unacceptable.
2. Practical Limitations: In some cases, it may not be feasible to conduct experimental studies due to logistical, financial, or time constraints. Experimental studies often require careful planning, resources, and control over variables, which may not be possible or practical for certain research questions.
3. Non-manipulable Variables: Some variables cannot be feasibly manipulated in an experimental setting. For example, studying the impact of genetics or environmental factors on certain outcomes may not be amenable to experimental manipulation. In such cases, non-experimental studies, such as observational or correlational studies, may be more suitable.
4. Generalizability: Experimental studies are often conducted under controlled conditions with specific groups of participants, which may limit the generalizability of findings to real-world contexts. Non-experimental studies, on the other hand, may provide insights into naturally occurring situations and diverse populations, leading to findings that are more applicable to real-life scenarios.
It is important to note that while experimental studies are considered the gold standard for establishing causal relationships, non-experimental studies also play a crucial role in generating useful knowledge and understanding relationships between variables. Researchers use a combination of different study designs depending on the research question, available resources, and ethical considerations.