What is the primary purpose of a true experiment?

The primary purpose of a true experiment is to determine if one variable causes a change in another. True experiments are designed to establish cause-and-effect relationships by manipulating an independent variable and observing the effect on a dependent variable. This is typically achieved through random assignment, which helps to control for extraneous variables and minimize bias.

By implementing these controls, researchers can make more definitive statements about causality, distinguishing it from mere correlation. While correlation might highlight a relationship between two variables, it does not provide evidence of one variable causing changes in another; this distinction is crucial in experimental research.