Chapter 1: Problem 19

Compare longitudinal research, cross-sectional research, and sequential research.

Short Answer

Expert verified

Longitudinal research involves long-term study of the same variables; it detects developments or changes over time but takes long to complete. Cross-sectional research considers data from a population at a specific point in time; it analyzes a variety of characteristics simultaneously but does not consider changes over time. Sequential research combines aspects of both, studying different age groups over time, providing a comprehensive analysis, but being complex, time-consuming, and potentially expensive.

Step by step solution

Define Longitudinal Research

Longitudinal research is a type of observational study that involves repeated observations of the same variables over a long period of time. It is often used in psychology to study developmental trends across life spans and in sociology to study life events across generations. The advantage of this type of research is its ability to detect developments or changes in the characteristics of the target population at both the group and the individual level. The key disadvantage of this method is that it takes a long time to collect all the data.

Define Cross-Sectional Research

Cross-sectional research involves analyzing data collected from a population, or a representative subset, at a specific point in time. It examines the relationship between different variables at a particular moment. This type of study can typically, but not always, involve different groups of people. Its major advantage lies in its ability to analyze a variety of characteristics of a population simultaneously. However, its key weakness is that because the data are collected at one point in time, it does not address changes over time.

Define Sequential Research

Sequential research is a consequential type of study that utilizes components from both cross-sectional and longitudinal research methods. It combines the strengths of both methods, which allows it to provide more comprehensive data analysis. The advantage of sequential research is that it can tell us how different behaviors or phenomena relate across different age groups. The downside is that it can be expensive, time-consuming, and complex to manage.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

Full Textbook Solutions
Get detailed explanations and key concepts
Unlimited Al creation
Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...
Ads-free access
To over 500 millions flashcards
Money-back guarantee
We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

Recommended explanations on Psychology Textbooks

View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Compare longitudinal research, cross-sectional research, and sequential research.

Short Answer

Step by step solution

Define Longitudinal Research

Define Cross-Sectional Research

Define Sequential Research

One App. One Place for Learning.

Most popular questions from this chapter

Recommended explanations on Psychology Textbooks

Forensic Psychology

Basic Psychology

Famous Psychologists

Biopsychology

Addiction

Approaches in Psychology

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.