1-3 Surveys, Experiments , and Observational Studies Explain whether each situation is an experiment or an observational study. 1. A school guidance counselor wants to know whether students with older siblings who went away to college are more likely to want to go away to college themselves. She interviews students about whether they have older siblings who went away to college and whether they are planning to themselves.

This scenario describes an observational study. In an observational study, the researcher observes and measures characteristics of interest without manipulating the study environment or subjects. The school guidance counselor is simply observing and interviewing students about their plans and family background, without influencing their decisions or circumstances. She is not assigning students to different conditions or treatments, which would be characteristic of an experiment. Therefore, this is an observational study.