One advantage to using a longitudinal design over a cross-sectional design is that longitudinal designs:
A) are typically cheaper to perform.
B) are less likely to be affected by attrition.
C) avoid the problems associated with cohort effects.
D) require less time to perform.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Longitudinal designs allow researchers to track changes over time within the same group of individuals, which eliminates the potential influence of cohort effects (differences based solely on the time period the participants were born). Cross-sectional designs do not allow for the tracking of changes over time and therefore may be affected by cohort effects. The other answer choices are incorrect as longitudinal designs generally require more time and resources and are more susceptible to attrition.

One Advantage to Using a Longitudinal Design Over a Cross-Sectional