Professor Hardy has spent the last decade conducting a study of the effects of early childhood "Wellness" programs on subsequent delinquency.Every year,researchers visit participating families and collect a variety of data.Over the course of 10 years,many families have moved away and the research staff has been unable to locate them.What problem has Professor Hardy encountered?
A) cross-sectional distortion
B) cohort distortion
C) panel attrition
D) experimental mortality

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Panel attrition refers to the loss of participants over time in a longitudinal study. In this case, the families that have moved away and cannot be located represent panel attrition. Cross-sectional distortion refers to the effects of age on study results, cohort distortion refers to the differences between groups of participants based on their birth year, and experimental mortality refers to the loss of participants due to factors related to the study intervention. None of these options accurately describe the problem encountered by Professor Hardy.

Professor Hardy Has Spent the Last Decade Conducting a Study