Which of the following studies would be impossible to answer by a cross-sectional study?
A)How many 6-year-olds and 12-year-olds have friends of the opposite sex?
B)How do 6-year-olds and 12-year-olds react when a friend becomes abusive?
C)Do 12-year-olds generally have more friends, or fewer, than 6-year-olds?
D)Do children with many friends at age 6 also have many friends at age 12?

Question

Which of the following studies would be impossible to answer by a cross-sectional study?​
A)How many 6-year-olds and 12-year-olds have friends of the opposite sex?​
B)​How do 6-year-olds and 12-year-olds react when a friend becomes abusive?
C)​Do 12-year-olds generally have more friends, or fewer, than 6-year-olds?
D)​Do children with many friends at age 6 also have many friends at age 12?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Cross-sectional studies are observational studies that analyze data from a population, or a representative subset, at a specific point in time. They can compare different population groups at a single point in time but cannot determine how relationships or characteristics develop over time. Option D, which requires tracking the same individuals from age 6 to age 12 to see if their number of friends changes, would necessitate a longitudinal study, not a cross-sectional study.

Which of the Following Studies Would Be Impossible to Answer