Eleanor is researching the effect social media has on individuals' self-esteem. Which research method would be most appropriate for her to determine if there is a causal relationship between social media use and self-esteem?

• A. Administering a survey to measure participants' social media use and self-esteem
• B. Observing participants' behavior on social media platforms without intervention
• C. Analyzing existing data from previous studies on social media and self-esteem
• D. Conducting an experiment where participants are randomly assigned to different levels of social media exposure

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the goal of the research, which is to determine if there is a causal relationship between social media use and self-esteem. Causality means identifying whether changes in social media use directly cause changes in self-esteem.
2. Step 2: Review the characteristics of different research methods. Surveys and observational studies can show correlations but cannot establish causality because they do not control for other variables or manipulate the independent variable.
3. Step 3: Recognize that to establish causality, the researcher must manipulate the independent variable (social media exposure) and control for confounding variables. This is typically done through an experimental design.
4. Step 4: Understand that random assignment of participants to different levels of social media exposure helps ensure that groups are equivalent at the start, reducing bias and allowing for causal inferences.
5. Step 5: Conclude that conducting an experiment with random assignment to varying social media exposure levels is the most appropriate method to determine if social media use causes changes in self-esteem.