What are the benefits and drawbacks of a cross-sectional study compared to a longitudinal study?
What will be an ideal response?
A good answer would include the following key points:
- A cross-sectional study collects data at one time and compares people of different ages. The benefits are that cross-sectional studies are easier to conduct and can be less costly. The downside is that the younger participants are different people from the older participants, so they may differ in ways other than age because they represent different generations.
- A longitudinal study measures the same people, repeatedly, over time. A benefit is that each person acts as her or his own control group, allowing the researcher to see the timing, type, and amount of change within a person over time. The drawback is that longitudinal studies take as long as they are designed to take. A researcher interested in measuring personality over 40 years has to wait 40 years to finish collecting data.
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Why is it thought that a significant percentage of 50- to 59-year-old women become sexually inactive?
A. They have a loss of interest in sex B. They become widowed or divorced C. They are dissatisfied with their current partner D. Physical changes cause pain during sex.
The skin covering which part of the body would have the LOWEST acuity?
A) lips B) palms C) fingertips D) lower back
Which of the following is TRUE about tobacco use?
a. Nicotine is one of the most addicting drugs one can use. b. Chewing tobacco and snuff are less dangerous than cigarette smoking. c. The rate of cigarette smoking has been declining steadily from 1965 to the present. d. Smoking increases the chances of cancer and heart disease, but doesn't affect the rate of stroke.
Judy chooses friends who admire her and reflect her highly-positive view of herself. Judy most likely scores high on the personality trait of:
A. manipulation. B. narcissism. C. Machiavellianism. D. extraversion.