A research team tracks a large sample of community-dwelling adults over a 20-year period. At five-year intervals, participants complete several measures, including a questionnaire assessing psychosocial adjustment. What type of research is the team conducting What type of correlation coefficient might the team expect to find between participants' scores on the psychosocial adjustment measure, and their scores on the same measure 20 years later
A)The team is conducting cross-sectional research.They should find a zero correlation coefficient.
B)The team is conducting cross-sectional research.They should find a positive correlation coefficient.
C)The team is conducting longitudinal research.They should find a negative correlation coefficient.
D)The team is conducting longitudinal research.They should find a positive correlation coefficient.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The research team is conducting longitudinal research because they are following the same group of individuals over a period of time (20 years) and assessing changes in their psychosocial adjustment. A positive correlation coefficient is expected because individuals' scores on the psychosocial adjustment measure at the beginning of the study are likely to be somewhat predictive of their scores on the same measure 20 years later, indicating that those who had higher (or lower) levels of psychosocial adjustment initially tend to maintain these levels relative to others over time.

A Research Team Tracks a Large Sample of Community-Dwelling Adults