A study that often attempts to understand how variables are related to each other is referred to as?

A study that aims to understand how variables are related to one another is described as an explanatory study. This type of research seeks to explain the relationships between different variables, often using statistical methods to uncover patterns, correlations, and causal links. Explanatory studies often involve hypothesis testing, where researchers assess whether changes in one variable may lead to changes in another, thereby providing a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms at play.

In contrast, predictive studies focus on forecasting future outcomes based on current data, rather than specifically investigating the relationships between variables. Inferential statistics involves making inferences about a population based on sample data but does not inherently focus on the relationships between variables like explanatory studies do. Descriptive statistics, on the other hand, is concerned with summarizing and describing data characteristics without making conclusions about relationships or causality. Thus, the emphasis on exploring variable interconnections makes explanatory studies the appropriate designation for the question asked.