What does qualitative research primarily seek to understand?

Qualitative research primarily seeks to understand concepts and experiences by exploring the meanings, motivations, and subjective perspectives of individuals. This approach involves collecting non-numerical data through methods such as interviews, focus groups, and observations. The goal is to gain insight into how people perceive their world, allowing researchers to uncover deeper insights into behaviors, social contexts, and cultural phenomena.

In contrast, the other options focus on aspects that are quantitative in nature. For example, numerical data relationships, demographic information, and statistical correlations all pertain to the gathering and analysis of measurable data rather than exploring rich, descriptive phenomena. By emphasizing the understanding of lived experiences and the context in which they occur, qualitative research provides a complementary perspective to quantitative studies, which may focus more on measurement and numerical patterns.