Longitudinal studies

Question 1

Longitudinal

Answer 1

= long

Usually a relatively small sample is studied and monitored over a period of years at regular intervals

Question 2

Quantitive

Answer 2

The UK Household Longitudinal Study is known as Understanding Society, it is the largest panel survey. in the world and it’s sample size is 40,000 households and approximately 100,000 individuals

Question 3

Understanding Society

Answer 3

The survey consists of information about the same indivuals at regular intervals so can be used to track changed in people’s lives and attitudes over time

Question 4

Quantitive example

Answer 4

7UP
Michael Apted began a tv series known as “The Up Series”, it’s intention was to document childrens progression over a 7 year period to see how society impacted them. Micro = can’t generalise
14 British children were selected

Question 5

What would be the advantage of re-interviewing your sample every 5 years

Answer 5

The interviewer will know if the people refrained from drinking alcohol

Question 6

What problems might you face when carrying out a large scale longitudinal study?

Answer 6

• Personal
• Life may not be going how they planned
• People may life

Question 7

Advantages of a large scale longitudinal study?

Answer 7

• More than a sample
• Track long term social change
• If quantitive is understanding society macro = can generalise
• Reliable
• Positivists = social facts
• Easy to analyse
• Valid, verstehen/rapport
• Interpretivists = meanings + motives

Question 8

Disadvantages of a large scale longitudinal study?

Answer 8

• Sample attention - people drop out
• Time consuming/expensive
• 7UP = invasion of privacy/puts participants under pressure (unethical)
• Understanding Society = lack validity as quantitive - doesn’t explain why