Longitudinal and Cross-Sectional Research Methods

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Gemma Barnes                08039678

This essay will compare and contrast the Longitudinal and Cross-sectional methods of research, by firstly describing each method and listing the main types. It will also give examples of research which have used these methods in order to gather data. Then through discussing the advantages and disadvantages for using each method a conclusion will be formed.

Conducting research is important in psychology as it gives the evidence needed to support theories and hypothesis. Developmental research methods aim to examine changes or differences in behaviour by looking at different ages or stages across a lifetime. This is usually carried out using two basic methods, the longitudinal and cross-sectional. Cross-sectional research is where individuals of different ages are studied at the same time; this is in contrast with longitudinal studies which involves testing one age group repeatedly over many years. A cohort study is a form of longitudinal study as well as a panel and retrospective study, a cohort is a group of people who share a common characteristic or experience within a specific period, such as birth or geographical location. A retrospective study involves looking to the past by looking at historical information such as medical records. The longitudinal method distinguishes between the short and long-term phenomenon and therefore the differences observed in participants are less likely to be the result of cultural differences across generations. It has many advantages and disadvantages and by giving an example of a study which has used this method will allow us to better understand these.

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One example of the longitudinal method being used in a study is Seven Up, shown on channel 4. It is a series of documentary films that have followed the lives of fourteen British children since 1964 from the age of seven. The children were selected to represent the range of socio-economic backgrounds in Britain at that moment in time; it assumed that each child’s social class predetermines their future. Every seven years new material is filmed from as many of the fourteen as possible and the last film was called ’49 up’, which was shown in September 2005. The ...

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