Which of the following describes a cohort effect?
A)when a research finds that people differ on some psychological variable depending not on their age per se, but in the era in which they were born and lived.
B)when a researcher finds that people differ on some psychological variable depending not on the era in which they were born and lived per se, but on their chronological age.
C)when a researcher compares two groups of people born in the same year to distinguish psychological variables between them.
D)when a researcher tracks a group of people of different ages over the same period of time.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A cohort effect refers to when a researcher finds that people differ on some psychological variable depending not on their age per se, but in the era in which they were born and lived. This means that people who experienced the same historical events, cultural shifts, and social changes during a specific time period may have shared experiences that shape their beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors differently than people who were born in a different era. For example, Baby Boomers who grew up during the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and the rise of countercultural movements may have different political, social, and cultural values than Millennials who grew up in a post-9/11 world, a digital era, and a more diverse and globalized society. Cohort effects are important to consider in longitudinal studies, cross-sectional studies, and age-related research, as they can affect the interpretation of age differences and age changes in psychological variables.

Which of the Following Describes a Cohort Effect