Question 1

A cohort is a group of people who

Accepted Answer

A cohort refers to a group of individuals who were born in the same year and grew up during the same historical era. They may share similar cultural or historical experiences, but it is not a defining characteristic of a cohort. The level of education or beliefs of a cohort can vary widely.

Question 2

Jess is conducting a study in which she compares stages of cognitive development in the United States to the stages in cognitive development in less developed parts of the world. Jess needs to use a(n)

Accepted Answer

Jess needs to use a cross-cultural design to compare cognitive development in the United States to less developed parts of the world. This design will allow her to compare the differences and similarities across cultures and identify any potential influences that the cultural environment may have on cognitive development. A field experiment or experimental design may not be appropriate, as it may not be ethical or feasible to manipulate or control the cultural environment in different parts of the world. A correlational design may not provide enough information to make meaningful comparisons across cultures.

Question 3

In cross-sectional studies, problems with cohort effects will be especially strong when

Accepted Answer

Cohort effects refer to differences between groups of people who were born in different time periods and grew up in different social and historical contexts. When the cohorts in a cross-sectional study differ widely in age, it is more likely that they will have experienced different historical events, cultural attitudes, and social norms that could influence their behavior and attitudes. This makes it harder to tease apart the effects of age, cohort, and period, and to draw firm conclusions about the causes of observed differences between the cohorts.

Question 4

A strong advantage of the longitudinal design is

Accepted Answer

The longitudinal design follows the development of individuals over time, allowing for a deeper understanding of developmental processes and changes. This is a strong advantage as it provides insight into individual trajectories and allows for the identification of specific factors that may influence development. Options A, B, and D are incorrect as informed consent is necessary in all research designs, the ability to discern differences among cohorts is not unique to the longitudinal design, and selective attrition is a potential issue in all research designs.

Question 5

Despite its weaknesses, the cross-sectional design remains popular with researchers because it

Accepted Answer

The cross-sectional design is a quick and easy way to collect data, which is why it remains popular with researchers despite its weaknesses.

Question 6

Cross-sectional comparison is like

Accepted Answer

Cross-sectional comparison involves observing different individuals or groups at a single point in time, which is similar to walking through classrooms and observing different students at once. A and D involve gradual changes over time, while C involves a specific method of voting and does not relate to cross-sectional comparison.

Question 7

In their research on learning, Bill Coates and Willard Hartup (1969) compared learning among four- to five-year-olds and seven- to eight-year-olds. This study is an example of

Accepted Answer

This study is an example of cross-sectional research because it compares two different age groups at the same time, rather than following individuals over time (longitudinal research). It also does not involve observing participants in their natural environment (naturalistic observation) or comparing participants from different cultures (cross-cultural research).

Question 8

Which of these is NOT a weakness of the cross-sectional research design?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of these is NOT a weakness...

Question 9

A strength of the longitudinal design is its ability to identify

Accepted Answer

Longitudinal design tracks the same individuals over a period of time, allowing researchers to observe how individual differences evolve and persist, making it effective for studying long-term individual differences among children.

Question 10

Collecting follow-up data each year on the same children while they grow is the hallmark of the ____ research design.

Accepted Answer

Longitudinal research design involves collecting data from the same group of individuals over an extended period, usually years or even decades, to track changes and development. This makes it a suitable research design for studying developmental changes in children. Choice A is incorrect because quasi-experimental design involves comparing groups that are not randomly assigned, making it unsuitable for tracking individual development over time. Choice B is incorrect because correlational studies investigate the relationship between variables and do not involve following individuals over time. Choice C is incorrect because cross-sectional studies involve collecting data from different groups of individuals at a single time point, making it impossible to track individual development.

Question 11

CROSS-SECTIONAL is to LONGITUDINAL as ____ is to ____.

Accepted Answer

Cross-sectional and longitudinal are both research designs, and the relationship between the two is that cross-sectional data is collected at one point in time, whereas longitudinal data is collected over a period of time. Therefore, the relationship is between two points in time, which is reflected in the choice C between present (cross-sectional) and future (longitudinal). The other choices do not have a clear relationship in terms of research design or temporal sequence.

Question 12

Some believe that the American generation that fought World War II was superior to other generations in courage, persistence, and devotion to ideals. This generational difference illustrates a(n) ____ effect.

Accepted Answer

The reference to a specific generation that experienced a shared historical event (World War II) suggests a cohort effect, which refers to the influence of shared experiences and characteristics of a particular group (or cohort) on behavior or attitudes. The other options (structured observational, ethnographic, case study) do not seem relevant to the scenario described.

Question 13

Cross-cultural investigators tend to emphasize

Accepted Answer

Cross-cultural investigators often emphasize differences rather than similarities to understand how cultures vary and the impact of these variations on human behavior and societal structures.

Question 14

George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Cher, Steven Spielberg, and Ken Starr were all born in 1946; this means that they are all members of the same

Accepted Answer

A cohort refers to a group of individuals who share a common experience or event during a specific time period. In this case, all individuals mentioned were born in 1946 and thus belong to the same cohort or age group.

Question 15

Kato is interested in understanding how a family's behavior changes when they have guests living in their homes for long periods of time. Kato's best choice of research design/method is

Accepted Answer

A longitudinal design would allow Kato to observe how the family's behavior changes over time. An observational design is appropriate because Kato is simply observing behavior rather than manipulating any variables.

Question 16

Longitudinal research is like

Accepted Answer

Longitudinal research involves observing the same group or individual over a period of time. This is similar to noticing how grandchildren have grown when they visit in successive years, as it involves tracking changes and development over time. The other options listed do not involve tracking changes over time in the same way that longitudinal research does.

Question 17

"Long-term follow-up" would be a suitable label for the ____ research design.

Accepted Answer

Longitudinal research design involves following a group of participants over an extended period, making it suitable for long-term follow-up studies. Cross-sectional research design collects data from different participants at one point in time. Laboratory experimental design investigates cause and effect relationships using controlled settings, and correlational research design identifies relationships between variables without manipulating them.

Question 18

In the ____ research design, children of different age groups are studied and compared at the same point in time.

Accepted Answer

In a cross-sectional research design, different age groups are studied and compared at the same point in time. This is in contrast to a longitudinal design, which follows the same group of individuals over a period of time. Correlational and experimental designs do not specifically focus on studying different age groups.

Question 19

Researchers guard against overgeneralizing their results to worldwide societies by carrying out

Accepted Answer

Cross-cultural comparisons involve gathering data from multiple cultures, which can reveal similarities and differences between them. This helps researchers avoid making assumptions about all societies based on limited data from one culture or region. Naturalistic observations, interview studies, and correlational studies may provide valuable information, but they do not specifically address cross-cultural comparisons.

Question 20

Cohort effects in cross-sectional studies

Accepted Answer

Cohort effects in cross-sectional studies can confound the interpretation of age effects because differences in the experiences, values, and cultural norms of different generations can be misconstrued as age-related differences. For example, a cross-sectional study comparing the job satisfaction of workers in their 20s, 40s, and 60s might find that the oldest cohort reports the highest job satisfaction, but this may be due to their having lived through a different era of labor relations, rather than a genuine effect of aging on job satisfaction.

Quiz 1: Introduction to Developmental Psychology and Its Research Strategies