Pros And Cons Of Longitudinal Research

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Question #2: Longitudinal research is a design in which the same individuals are followed over time and their development is repeatedly assessed. Furthermore, Cross-sequential research is a hybrid research design in which researchers first study several groups of people of different ages (a cross-sectional approach) and then follow those groups over the years (a longitudinal approach). Cross-sequential research is different from longitudinal research because this study can compare different population groups at a single point in time. Whereas in a longitudinal study, researchers conduct several observations of the same subjects over a period of time, sometimes lasting many years. The benefit of longitudinal research is that it allows researchers to look at changes over time. In addition, longitudinal methods are particularly useful when studying development and lifespan issues. Also, a few drawbacks of longitudinal research is the studies require enormous amounts of time and are often quite expensive. Additionally, these studies often have only a small group of subjects, which makes it difficult to apply the results to a larger population. Another…show more content…
All teratogens increase the risk of harm to the developing child. However, teratogens do not always cause damage, the ultimate impact depends on the complex interplay of many factors. One factor is timing; the effect of a teratogen on the developing organism depends on what period in the pregnancy the child is exposed to the teratogen. For example, some teratogens cause damage only during specific days or weeks in early pregnancy and others are harmful at any time during pregnancy. Behavioral teratogens tend to harm the prenatal brain, affecting the future child’s intellectual and emotional functioning at any time during the

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