LL2: FAQ General Research Designs

1. What's the best way to set up a study in testing hypothesis? Correlational or experimental?

It all depends on which one you're doing whether it's on individuals and their natural life circumstances or dealing with both numbers and variables.

2. Can you also do other research designs concerning children?

Yes. However, you must keep in mind once you read the descriptions of each kind of research you do, understand that not only are there strengths in which goes along with them, but limitations are being put to each as well.

3. How many strengths does the longitudinal design has and why?

The longitudinal designs has only 2 strengths and major ones at that for these reasons alone. First, researchers will recognize patterns in which are very common and differences in development individually. Second, longitudinal studies allow those who are investigators to test the relationships whether it be early or later plus their behaviors.

4. How do problems occur when dealing with conducting longitudinal research?

One problem that is most common is biased sampling (which means someone who refuses to enlist participants representing a population of interest adequately). People who participate in most majority of these researches will have characteristics in which are distinctive. Participants may either do one of two things: move away or drop out of the study for one reason or another.

5. Are there problems in conducting cross-sectional research as well?

Yes. However, to say whether important individual differences exist or not is another question altogether. Another problem can be like longitudinal research can be threatened by cohart effects (children born at the same time of which are influenced by both particular cultural and historical conditions).