An audience of 20-year-olds finds a series of off-color jokes highly amusing. A group of 50-year-olds finds the same jokes highly offensive. It is concluded that, as people age, their senses of humor become more rigid and narrow. The major difficulty in drawing conclusions of this sort is that ________.
A) longitudinal studies cannot distinguish between age differences and generational differences
B) cross-sectional studies cannot distinguish between age differences and generational differences
C) longitudinal studies cannot distinguish between age differences and differences in the time at which measurements are taken
D) cross-sectional studies cannot distinguish between age differences and differences in the time at which measurements are taken

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Cross-sectional studies, which involve comparing different age groups at one point in time, cannot distinguish whether age or generation is responsible for the observed differences in sense of humor. It is possible that the 20-year-olds and 50-year-olds grew up in different cultural and social contexts, which may have influenced their sense of what is funny or offensive. Longitudinal studies, which follow the same individuals over time, may be better able to distinguish between age and generational differences if they control for cohort effects. However, longitudinal studies still cannot distinguish between age differences and differences in the time at which measurements are taken (e.g., people might be more cheerful in the summer than in the winter).

An Audience of 20-Year-Olds Finds a Series of Off-Color Jokes