A study was conducted to determine which school meal ought to be removed from the weekly rotation. Every student in the school was asked to rank their top three school lunches. Tuna melts were found to be the least-favored option, with only 7.8 percent of students ranking tuna melts in their top three choices. Which of the following accurately differentiates whether this is an example of an observational study, an experimental study, or a survey?
A. This is an observational study since it included random sampling.
B. This is a survey since opinions were collected.
C. This is an experimental study since a cause-and-effect relationship can be inferred.
D. This is an experimental study since a treatment was applied to the test subjects.
B. This is a survey since opinions were collected.
In this scenario, the study simply collected opinions from the students regarding their preferences for school lunches. No treatment or intervention was applied, making it a survey rather than an experimental study.