How would you think that if you found out the significant positive correlation between ice cream sales and the number of accidents? Is it harmful to consume ice-cream?
As mentioned by Felix Septianto in DMSN Talk, episode 3. It is organized by SBM ITB through the interest group of Decision Making and Strategic Negotiation (DMSN) to actively contribute to disseminating the knowledge.
He is a senior lecturer at the University of Queensland Business School, a lecturer of marketing, and he is also a recipient of more than ten research and service-related awards.
For answering the previous questions, Felix revealed that it might correlate but no causal relationship, there should be many factors behind it. In his presentation, Felix then introduced and explained thoroughly about causal research and experimental research design.
“Causal research is research conducted to identify cause-effect relationships among variables when the research has already been narrowly defined,” he said on Friday (26/2/2021).
It can be used to investigate the effect and relationship of the variables. Take the previous question, for example, causal research allows us to analyze the relationship between ice cream & accidents and whether they are related to each other.
![](https://www.sbm.itb.ac.id/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/dmsntalksfeb2-768x494.png)
Furthermore, Felix added that to find out the effect of an independent variable on a dependent variable under a controlled variable, the researchers may use experimental research.
When we were in school, we used to do various experiments in the class. The aim was to discover the net result when different elements mix all together. The elements were then called the variables. This concept is named experimental research, in the business study, it may be implemented to find out the positive or negative variables within a company that will bring high performance.
Lastly, Felix described his research which implemented the experimental research design to the audience. His research interest broadly investigates the influence of feeling on customer decision making particularly in the context of advertising, consumer ethic, prosocial, and pro-environmental behaviors.