Could the effect of being clinically depressed on the number of close friendships an individual has be studied in an experimental research design? I think not because the variables cannot be manipulated.

I searched Google under the key words "how depression affects friendships" to get these possible sources:

https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=clinical+depression+friendships&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&gws_rd=ssl#q=how+depression+affects+friendships

In the future, you can find the information you desire more quickly, if you use appropriate key words to do your own search. Also see http://hanlib.sou.edu/searchtools/.

You're correct that in an experimental research design, researchers manipulate the independent variable to observe its effects on the dependent variable. However, in the case of studying the effect of clinical depression on the number of close friendships, there are some limitations to consider:

1. Ethical concerns: It may not be ethical to intentionally induce clinical depression in participants for the sake of research. Additionally, manipulating variables like depression can entail potential harm to participants' mental well-being.

2. Confounding variables: There are numerous factors that can influence an individual's number of close friendships, such as personality traits, social skills, and life circumstances. It would be difficult to isolate clinical depression as the sole cause of changes in friendship numbers due to these confounding variables.

3. Naturalistic observation: Given the challenges in manipulating clinical depression, researchers may opt for a naturalistic observational study design instead. This approach involves observing individuals who are already diagnosed with depression and examining their friendship patterns. However, it's important to note that this design cannot establish a cause-and-effect relationship between depression and the number of friendships.

To study the relationship between clinical depression and the number of close friendships, alternative research designs like correlational studies or longitudinal studies may be more appropriate. These designs allow researchers to explore associations and patterns without manipulating the variables directly.