Designs for Studying Development
- Longitudinal studies observe or test the same individuals (a single cohort) repeatedly at different points in their lives. This approach studies development over time and is the most direct way to watch development occur. These studies have several limitations, such as participant dropout and repeated testing effects.
- Microgenetic study is a special type of longitudinal design in which participants are tested repeatedly over a span of days or weeks, typically with the aim of observing change directly as it occurs. These types of studies are useful in tracking change as a result of intervention.
- Cross-sectional designs compare groups of people varying in age at one point in time. These studies only uncover age differences and are subject to the cohort effect.
- Cohort effects are problems with cross-sectional designs in which differences between age groups (cohorts) may result as easily from environmental events as from developmental processes.
- Sequential designs are multiple cross-sectional or longitudinal studies.
- Meta-analysis is a tool that allows researchers to synthesize the results of many studies to estimate relations between variables.
