Difference between Descriptive Research and Experimental Research

The main difference between descriptive research and experimental research is that descriptive research describes some phenomenon or a group by exploring different characteristics of the specific group or phenomenon while experimental research is the research in which the researcher manipulates the variable to find findings. or reach conclusions.

Descriptive research versus experimental research

Descriptive research and experimental research are two of the many types of research. There are numerous types of research. Both types are different from each other.

Descriptive research is defined as a type of research that describes some phenomenon or group by exploring different characteristics of the specific group or phenomenon. Experimental research is defined as research in which the researcher manipulates the variable to find findings or reach conclusions.

The way of carrying out both types of research is different. Descriptive research is easy to do. Descriptive research is very likely to explain a connection between any two variables. Experimental research is more difficult to do for many reasons, but it is considered more important.

Descriptive research describes the population by identifying characteristics. Experimental research focuses more on testing the hypothesis. The focus areas of both types of research differ in many respects. There is no emphasis on causality in descriptive research. Experimental research allows the researcher to find causality.

Data processing in descriptive and experimental research varies. Descriptive research is primarily handled by making data available and processing it through statistical analysis.
Furthermore, descriptive research sometimes collects data from other earlier experimental research as well. Experimental research focuses on the origin of data from an experiment.

Descriptive research and experimental research have their own WH questions that they answer. Descriptive research answers the question -WH “what”. Experimental research answers the question –WH “why”.

In descriptive research, there is a correlation or link between two events, but it does not say how that relationship works. Experimental research demonstrates the correlation and also how that relationship works.

Comparison chart

What is descriptive research?

Descriptive research is defined as a type of research that describes some phenomenon or group by exploring different characteristics of the specific group or phenomenon.

The purpose of descriptive research is to direct the measurement of behaviors and attributes through observational methods rather than through an experimental method. Descriptive research is less likely to explain a connection between the two variables.

In descriptive research, there is a correlation or link between two events or variables. For example, it covers topics like “a country’s average fat intake and the rate of heart disease in that country.”

Correlation makes predictions about the similarities between two variables that occur together. However, this correlation does not account for causality. It doesn’t say how that relationship works.

By not focusing on causality, descriptive research allows the researcher to broaden their understanding of the population. Describe the population by identifying the characteristics. Furthermore, descriptive research provides both qualitative and quantitative data.

Descriptive research is primarily handled by making data available and processing it through statistical analysis. Descriptive research sometimes also collects data from other previous experimental research.

Furthermore, the descriptive research project is simple and easy to design. This type of research has the question “what” to answer. In descriptive research, the main focus of the researcher is to describe the population by identifying the characteristics.

Descriptive research is used in all sciences, mainly in Political Science or Sociology. It focuses on social rather than practical issues.

What is experimental research?

Experimental research is defined as research in which the researcher manipulates the variable to find findings or reach conclusions.

Experimental research is difficult to do for many reasons. Requires many additional things, for example, when an independent variable is manipulated to observe its effect on the dependent variable, many other incidental variables must be controlled and accounted for such as random assignment, use of a control group, single or double design blind etc because, if not, the results could be inaccurate or false.

However, this type of research is considered more important. It is up to the experimenter to decide how the independent variables can be controlled; meanwhile, measure the dependent variable.

Experimental research focuses more on testing the hypothesis. It allows the investigator to find causality. Experimental research focuses on the origin of data from an experiment.

It answers the question –WH, “why”. Experimental research demonstrates the correlation and also the causality of how that specific relationship works. In experimental research, the main purpose of an experiment is to investigate the relationship between two variables, which further helps in testing a hypothesis.

A psychologist can design an experiment using the scientific method. The scientific method leads to satisfactory answers to the research question. The different types of experiments are single subject study, quasi-experiments, correlation study, etc.

Main steps of an experimental design

• The identification of the question
• Creating a Hypothesis
• Conducting research for information on the above aspects
• The definition of dependent and independent variables
• Determine the form of manipulation of the independent variable and the measure of a dependent variable

Key differences

1. Descriptive research is defined as a type of research that describes some phenomenon or group by exploring different characteristics of the specific group or phenomenon, while experimental research is defined as research in which the researcher manipulates the variable to find findings or reach conclusions.
2. Descriptive research is easier to do; on the contrary, experimental research is more difficult to carry out.
3. In descriptive research, there is a correlation or link between two events, but you don’t say how that relationship works; on the contrary, experimental research demonstrates the correlation and also how that relationship works.
4. Descriptive research describes the population by identifying characteristics; On the other hand, experimental research focuses more on testing the hypothesis.
5. A descriptive research project is simple to design; on the other hand, experimental research becomes complicated to design due to many additional things.
6. Descriptive research does not focus on causality, while experimental research allows the researcher to find causality.
7. Descriptive research asks the question “what”, conversely experimental research answers the question “why”.
8. Descriptive research is primarily handled by making data available and processing it through statistical analysis. Sometimes, it also collects data from other previous experimental research, on the contrary, experimental research focuses on the origin of data from an experiment.

Final Thought

Descriptive research and experimental research are known as the two types of research. Both types are different from each other based on their question, research design method, and other aspects.