cross-sectional studies

• What is a cross-sectional study?


  A study that uses different groups of people who differ in the variable of interest.
• What characteristics do groups in a cross-sectional study share?


  They share characteristics such as socioeconomic status, educational background, and ethnicity.
• How might researchers studying developmental psychology use cross-sectional studies?


  By selecting groups of people who are similar in most areas but differ only in age.
• Why do researchers conduct cross-sectional studies at the same time?


  To investigate the influence of age without other variable differences.
• What is the nature of cross-sectional studies?


  They are observational and not causal or relational.
• What do researchers not do in cross-sectional studies?


  They do not manipulate variables.
• What are the advantages of cross-sectional studies?


  • Less attrition than longitudinal studies
  • Relatively quick, often taking less than a year
• What are the disadvantages of cross-sectional studies?


  • Difficulty in finding participants who are very similar in one specific variable
  • Groups can be affected by cohort differences
• How might cohort differences affect a study on IQ in 20 and 30 year olds?


  30 year olds might appear to have a lower IQ due to poor diet and other cohort effects in their 20s.
• What are the defining characteristics of cross-sectional studies?


  • Take place at a single point in time
  • Do not involve manipulating variables
  • Allow researchers to look at numerous factors at once
• What can cross-sectional studies be used to look at in a given population?


  They can be used to look at the prevalence of something in a given population.