Question

magali and jean - gabriel have been asked to design a study investigating happiness across the lifespan. they decide the best way will involve going to the mall and asking people of a variety of ages if they are happy or unhappy. what is the most serious flaw of this design?

• they have not defined happiness or how it will be measured
• people will know that they are part of a research study and may decline participation.
• their results will depend on how busy the mall is.
• survey data is not as valid as experimental data

Explanation:

The main flaw is that the study lacks a clear definition and measurement method for "happiness," which is critical for consistent and valid data collection. The other options are either minor issues or not the most significant flaw: people declining participation is a common survey challenge, mall busyness is a contextual variable, and comparing survey vs experimental data is not relevant to the core design flaw here.

Answer:

A. They have not defined happiness or how it will be measured.