What is the main advantage of longitudinal research over cross-sectional research?

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Longitudinal research is particularly valuable for its ability to assess changes in individuals over time, which is crucial for understanding development, learning, aging, and other processes that unfold across different stages of life. Unlike cross-sectional research, which compares different groups at a single point in time, longitudinal research follows the same group of individuals over time. This approach avoids cohort effects, which are differences between age groups that stem from their unique historical or social contexts, rather than from actual developmental or aging processes. By tracking the same individuals, longitudinal studies can more accurately attribute observed changes to the passage of time or the effect of interventions, rather than to differences between cohorts.

What Is the Main Advantage of Longitudinal Research Over Cross-Sectional