In order to assess whether viewpoints on decriminalization are associated with stress levels among college students, which research method would be most appropriate?

• A. Performing a naturalistic observation of students in public spaces without measuring their stress or opinions
• B. Using a case study to deeply analyze one student's opinion on decriminalization and stress
• C. Conducting a correlational study to examine the relationship between attitudes toward decriminalization and reported stress levels
• D. Administering a double-blind drug trial to test the effects of medication on stress

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Identify the key variables involved in the research question. Here, the variables are students' viewpoints on decriminalization and their stress levels.
2. Step 2: Understand the goal of the study, which is to examine whether there is an association or relationship between these two variables, rather than manipulating any variable.
3. Step 3: Recognize that naturalistic observation and case studies do not measure relationships between variables quantitatively across a sample, and a double-blind drug trial is designed to test causal effects of treatments, not associations between attitudes and stress.
4. Step 4: Determine that a correlational study is appropriate because it allows researchers to measure both variables (viewpoints and stress levels) and statistically analyze the strength and direction of their relationship without manipulation.
5. Step 5: Plan to collect data using surveys or questionnaires to assess students' opinions on decriminalization and their self-reported stress levels, then use correlation coefficients (e.g., Pearson's r) to analyze the association.