A researcher wanted to test whether people tend to use less smartphone technology. as they get older. The researcher surveyed 10-year-olds, 30-year-olds, 50-year-olds, and 70-year-olds, and found that the 10-year-olds and 30-year-olds used smartphones more than the older respondents. The researcher concluded that cognitive ageing causes people to use their phone less. What is a concern for this conclusion?
A) The sample is biased because there are no people between 21‒29 years old.
B) There may be cohort effects.
C) The Hawthorne effect.
D) The age range is too large to make comparisons.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The concern for this conclusion is that there may be cohort effects. This means that individuals who grow up during different time periods may have different experiences and attitudes towards smartphone technology, which could affect their usage patterns. Therefore, it is important to consider the age range of the participants and their generational cohort when analyzing the results.

A Researcher Wanted to Test Whether People Tend to Use