APFIVE A psychology researcher studied the effectiveness of different memory encoding strategies among 150 high school students. Students were randomly assigned to either use visual imagery, acoustic rehearsal, or semantic processing when memorizing vocabulary words. The researcher measured recall accuracy after 24 hours and found that semantic processing led to better retention. When asked why semantic processing was most effective, the researcher stated it was because semantic processing requires more elaborate rehearsal than visual or acoustic encoding. What research design limitation prevents this causal conclusion?
The 24-hour delay was too short to measure true retention
The study’s correlational design cannot determine why semantic processing was more effective
The vocabulary words may have been too difficult
The sample was not representative of the general population
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