Which one of the following statements is not related to the nature of…

A science is classified as "positive" or "normative" depending on what it studies. A positive science systematically observes, measures, and explains facts as they actually exist — it deals with "what is". A normative science, by contrast, prescribes ideals, values, or standards — it deals with "what ought to be", as in ethics, aesthetics, or logic.

Educational psychology studies the actual behaviour, learning processes, and development of learners through systematic observation and experimentation. Because it describes and explains facts about behaviour rather than prescribing values or ideals, it is classified as a positive science; and because human behaviour is studied within social settings such as classrooms and peer groups, it is also recognised as a behavioural and social science. It does not lay down what learners "ought" to value or how they "ought" to behave, so treating it as a normative science misrepresents its actual nature.

Checking each statement against this distinction:

• It is a behavioural science — it directly studies observable behaviour and mental processes, so this statement reflects its nature.

• It is a positive science — it relies on empirical observation and objective facts about learning, so this statement reflects its nature.

• It is a social science — it studies behaviour within social settings such as classrooms and peer groups, so this statement reflects its nature.

• It is a normative science — normative sciences prescribe ideals and values (as in ethics or logic); educational psychology only describes and explains behaviour as it occurs, so this statement does NOT reflect its nature.

Result: the statement describing educational psychology as a normative science is the one not related to its actual nature.