A researcher is studying how depression tends to be experienced by people of different ages. The researcher interviews depressed adolescents, young adults, individuals in their 30s and 50s, and those over 70 years old. The research design being used is called .
A) cross-sectional
B) longitudinal
C) experimental
D) case-study

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The research design being used is cross-sectional because the researcher is studying different age groups (adolescents, young adults, individuals in their 30s and 50s, and those over 70 years old) at the same time, instead of following individuals over a period of time (which would be longitudinal) or manipulating variables (which would be experimental). It is also not a case-study design because the researcher is not focusing on one specific individual or case.

A Researcher Is Studying How Depression Tends to Be Experienced