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Diagnose whether this study design fits the definition of longitudinal research, and justify your answer by explaining what specific confounding issue this approach avoids according to the text.
Case context: A research team decides to study how memory changes during adulthood. Instead of comparing 20-year-olds and 70-year-olds at the same time, they recruit a group of 20-year-olds and test their memory every ten years until the participants reach age 70.
Question: Diagnose whether this study design fits the definition of longitudinal research, and justify your answer by explaining what specific confounding issue this approach avoids according to the text.
Sample answer: This study is an example of longitudinal research because it follows and repeatedly assesses a single group of people (the initially recruited 20-year-olds) over an extended period as they age. By using this design, the researchers avoid cohort effects, which provides a superior means of directly studying developmental changes in memory.
Key points:
- Diagnoses the study as longitudinal research
- Justifies by noting the study follows a single group over an extended period as they age
- Explains that this design avoids cohort effects
Rubric: The response must diagnose the study as longitudinal research by explaining that it follows a single group repeatedly over an extended period as they age. It must also explicitly justify the design choice by stating that it avoids cohort effects.
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
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Cross-Sequential Research
Which of the following best describes the primary characteristic of a longitudinal research design?
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Longitudinal research provides a superior means of directly studying developmental changes by avoiding _____ effects.
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Define longitudinal research and describe its primary advantage and disadvantage as outlined in the text.
Diagnose whether this study design fits the definition of longitudinal research, and justify your answer by explaining what specific confounding issue this approach avoids according to the text.
A researcher wants to study the development of language skills from birth to age 18 but only has a two-year grant and limited funding. Based on the characteristics of longitudinal research, why would this method be inappropriate for their situation?