cross sectional and longitudinal approaches

Question 1

What is a longitudinal approach?

Answer 1

where P’s are followed up after a period of time

• study changes over time
• often case studies
• provides both types of data to make detailed valid conclusions
• may suffer from attrition , loss of P’s from study , questions representatives of sample
• takes a long time

Question 2

what is a cross-sectional approach?

Answer 2

were groups of individuals of different ages (oral,anal,phallic etc)are compared at the same point in time

• difficult to match relevant P’s because were not studying changes in the same people
• quicker than longitudinal
• more reliable than longitudinal as similar methods and procedures can be used