Cross Sectional In Clinical Psychology Flashcards
Cross Sectional
what is it
• Research that is done to take a quick snapshot of the behavior in a population
• researchers will use a large sample size to get a good cross-section of the whole target population
– for example research into different experiences of people just gets framing at different ages
– so the sample would consist of all of those things
Cross Sectional
general points
at 1 point in time
oppisit to L
quick
less impact
find ppl
Ind Diff
• rather than doing research longitudionaly
– which is time-consuming and expensive
– researchers will take a sample participants in different ages and investigate them at the same time
– it is a measurer participant at one time rather than over time
• cross sectional research can be seen in many ways as the opposite to longitudinal
– and therefore the strengths of one is The Weakness of the other
– for example cross sectional is quick while longitudinal is not
• the data is gathered much more quickly than in longitudinal research
– allowing conclusions to be drawn upon an acted on more rapidly
– making the findings more valid at when they are reported at the time
– rather than in several years when research may have moved on
• this means that it is also more ethical as due to only being studied once and one time research is less of an intrusion on the participants lives
– this also means that it is easier to find participants as they will not feel that it will take up their time long-term
• also some participants may find discussing their symptoms and experiences of mental health distressing
– as an confirmation of their mental state
– which makes cross sectional research more ethical as it only occurs once
– and not over a long periods of time like longitudinal research
• the comparison is being made between many different people meaning individual difference may have a significant effect on the conclusion
– as it is likely that many participant variables will not be controlled for such as personal experiences of the symptoms / illness
Cross Sectional
Example
• An investigation of changes in physical development and in infancy
– by comparing the progression of fine and gross motor skills in 22,000 infants of different ages
– ranging from two months through 22 months
– this is an example of Cross sectional research
– as the research is only taking place at one time rather than over a long period of time
Cross Sectional
real example in clinical
Hyde Et al 1994
Hyde et al 1994
• cognitive Decline and schizophrenia was measured patients with chronic schizophrenia
– aged from 18-69
– were divided into five cohorts 18-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59 and 60-69 (five levels of the IV)
– and intellectual deterioration was tested using the mini–Mental State examination and the dementia rating scale
– plus other tests known to be sensitive to cognitive impairment in progressive dementia (the dv’s)
– participants had passed a rigorous screening for any co-morbid conditions that might be affecting their CNS function
• there was no evidence of accelerated intellectual decline
– performance on the Boston naming test is significantly declined with age
– this is mainly due to age rather than the duration of the illness
– mean tests performance was abnormal across all age groups
• but intellectual functioning does not seem to marketly decline during the Adulthood of patients with schizophrenia
Overall that was no link found between cognitive Decline and schizophrenia
– however this is a good example of a cross-sectional research as it all took place at one time
Cross Sectional
Cohort Effects
(-) in val
• the cohort is the group of people being studied
• cohort effect
referred to factors relating to this group which may make them special in some way
– and therefore not entirely generalizable to similar groups
– who may be selected in a future replication of the study
• these factors cannot be controlled and therefore they would be a confounding variable
• classic coherd effects relate to things which happened only to that specific generation of children:
– war:
the impact of War is something that cannot be replicated in the future study
– certain styles of education initiatives that have gone out of fashion:
These cannot be replicated as this type of education is no longer in use
and participants would have their own type of education and
therefore was becomes a cohort affect
– economic recession:
This can effect a cohert in a way where it’s can’t be replicated in the future years
the effects of a recession on the original children may be different to that on future recessions
• In a cross sectional study each of the group of children have lived through differing social and economic circumstances
– and will not nessacarily be the same
– Meaning that you cannot be sure any differences between the children’s performance/ behavior is due to differences in their age or different experiences of each cohort
– this is a problem for cross-sectional studies (validity)
Cross Sectional
+ gen rep Big sample size
• Large samples are representative of groups at the time
– For example 18,000 participants with anorexia nervosa or recessive and purging subtypes
– is highly representative of the anorexia spectrum
This shows that cross-sectional studies have got good generalizability
– as the sample is reflective of the group as a whole in the area of research at the time
– meaning the results can be generalized to that population
Cross Sectional
_no gen cohort effects
• While the sample is generalizable at the time
– due to cohort affects the sample may not be representative of the area of research in the future
– will be sample is representative of the Field of research at the time of researching the cohort’s used may not reflect the Field of research in the future
– for example a new type of schizophrenia could be discovered and the sample would therefore not be able to be representative of this
• therefore meaning that due to cohort effects
– the sample may not be generalizable to the field of research in the future
– due to the uniqueness of the situation that the original cohort has been through
– or the development of the field in the future
Cross Sectional
+ gen cohort for at the time
Due to the large sample being mainly of the same cohort
therefore at the time of the research the sample can be generalizable to the population in a simular cohort
As this original cohort will all share the same experiences as that of the same cohort in the population of the area of study
• making the sample of a cross-sectional research with a cohort generalizable to that of the population at the time of publishment
(as they share the same expeeiences)
Cross Sectional
high rel standardised procedure
• generally cross sectional research follows standardized procedure
– such as same series of questionnaires being used for example the bsq and edi-2 for anorexia nervosa
– therefore making the cross-sectional study easy to replicate
– and therefore replicable
– and therefore reliable
– giving them high reliability
Cross Sectional
high int val (val at time of publisb)
• due to research being gathered at the time conclusions that are made and are active upon would be valid
• so the conclusion would more likely to be valid when the research is published at the time
– as unlike in longitudinal studies where the research may take tens of years and therefore the Field of research would have moved on
– this is not the case in cross-sectional research
– which is there for more likely to be valid when it is published
– making the conclusion drawer upon more reliable and reflecting of the research at the time of publishment
– giving cross-sectional research high internal validity
Cross Sectional
Ind Diff - int val
• comparisons being made between different participants may lead to individual differences which may have a big effect on the conclusion
– individual differences such as the types of symptoms shown
– for example some of the sample may show more positive than negative symptoms of schizophrenia such as hallucinations
– these participant variables are likely not controlled for
– und therefire classed as extraneous variables affecting the accuracy of the conclusion
– you will not be able to also accurately establish cause an effect
– giving cross-sectional research low internal validity
Cross Sectional
ethical
• it’s more ethical van longitudinal research and all the participants participate in research at all at one time and not over a long period of time
• meaning that it has a smaller impact on participant lives
• also it makes it easier to find willing part isn’t as it does not take up lots of their time in their life during which they may be hospitalized or Die which would make the research less valid as well and unethical
– there’s also less overall talk about mental illness than in a longitudinal study therefore it may be less distressing for a patient who has anorexia who may dislike talking about their mental health or anxiety all their Desire for thinness
• this makes cross-sectional research highly ethical especially compared to longitudinal studies you know
