A developmental health psychologist is comparing middle-aged and older-adults' perceptions of health care options in her community. She is matching the adults on such variables as ethnicity, education, and SEs. The psychologist is conducting a(n) ______ using a ______ design.
A) experiment; cross-sectional
B) experiment; longitudinal
C) quasi-experiment; cross-sectional
D) quasi-experiment; longitudinal

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The psychologist is not manipulating any variables or randomly assigning participants, so it is not an experiment. It is a quasi-experiment because she is comparing groups that already exist in the community. She is also using a cross-sectional design because she is comparing different age groups at the same time, rather than following them over a period of time in a longitudinal design.

A Developmental Health Psychologist Is Comparing Middle-Aged and Older-Adults' Perceptions