7.4.2 Longitudinal vs. Cross-Sectional Studies

• What are longitudinal studies?

  Following individuals over time
• Longitudinal studies aim to understand the processes of development
• Longitudinal studies provide deeper insights than cross-sectional studies by examining the same individuals over time.
• What is the primary purpose of longitudinal studies?

  Track changes over time
• Arrange the advantages of longitudinal studies in order of their relevance.

  1️⃣ Tracks individual changes

  2️⃣ Identifies causal relationships

  3️⃣ Reduces cohort effects

  4️⃣ Comprehensive data collection
• Compared to cross-sectional studies, longitudinal studies provide deeper insights
• Match the advantages of longitudinal studies with their descriptions:

  Tracks individual changes ↔️ Understands development over time

  Identifies causal relationships ↔️ Helps establish cause and effect

  Reduces cohort effects ↔️ Minimizes generational differences

  Comprehensive data collection ↔️ Provides detailed insights
• Longitudinal studies can identify causal relationships between variables.
• What is a cohort effect that longitudinal studies reduce?

  Generational differences
• Longitudinal studies reduce cohort effects by minimizing generational differences
• What is the key advantage of longitudinal studies in understanding development?

  Tracks changes over time
• Arrange the limitations of longitudinal studies in order of their relevance.

  1️⃣ Time-consuming and expensive

  2️⃣ Subject attrition reduces sample size

  3️⃣ Participants' behavior influenced

  4️⃣ Potential for researcher bias
• Longitudinal studies are less expensive than cross-sectional studies.

  False
• What is subject attrition in longitudinal studies?

  Participants dropping out
• Longitudinal studies can suffer from potential researcher bias
• Repeated measurements in longitudinal studies can influence participant responses
• Researcher bias in longitudinal studies can influence data collection or interpretation
• Longitudinal studies are often contrasted with cross-sectional studies due to their different approaches
• What do cross-sectional studies examine at a single point in time?

  Different age groups
• Cross-sectional studies contrast with longitudinal studies, which follow the same individuals
• Cross-sectional studies use a snapshot in time for data collection, while longitudinal studies collect data over time
• A key advantage of cross-sectional studies is that they are faster and less expensive
• Testing 5-year-olds, 10-year-olds, and 15-year-olds at the same time is an example of a cross-sectional study
• What is the primary goal of longitudinal studies?

  Observe changes over time
• Longitudinal studies track individual changes but are time-consuming and expensive
• Compared to cross-sectional studies, longitudinal studies offer deeper insights into developmental processes
• The purpose of longitudinal studies is to identify causal relationships and understand developmental processes
• Longitudinal studies can track changes in the same group of individuals over an extended period
• Longitudinal studies aim to identify factors that influence developmental changes
• What is the primary purpose of longitudinal studies?

  Track changes over time
• Longitudinal studies collect data from the same individuals over time.
• What is a key goal of longitudinal studies?

  Understand developmental processes
• Longitudinal studies help identify causal relationships, while cross-sectional studies are faster and less expensive
• Cross-sectional studies collect data from the same individuals over time.

  False
• Give an example of a research question that could be addressed by a longitudinal study.

  Cognitive development in children
• Longitudinal studies track individual changes over time, providing insights into developmental pathways
• Longitudinal studies can establish cause-and-effect relationships.
• How do longitudinal studies reduce cohort effects?

  By tracking the same individuals
• Longitudinal studies are time-consuming and expensive
• Subject attrition can reduce the sample size in longitudinal studies.