Research designs and themes

Pros of cohort sequential design

• can compare between other two designs

• controls for age effects

Pros of cross-sectional design

• quick and easy

• can identify age-related differences

Pros of longitudinal design

• stability of different attributes

• normative development trends vs independent processes

• relation between early vs later behaviour

Nature vs nurture

whether child development is more influenced by biological factors such as genetics or more influenced by external factors such as environment/parental figures

Active vs passive

children are active contributors to their development or they are passive recipients of environmental influence

Holistic development

all areas of development are interdependent and must be understood in relation to one another

Continuity vs discontinuity

development is a gradual process, it is additive and continous with no major jumps vs development occurs through distinct stages and fundamental transformation

Cons for cohort sequential design

• time-consuming, costly

• patient attrition

• practice effects

Cons of cross-sectional design

• confounding age/cohort effects

• no data on previous behaviour

• cannot determine causation

Cons of longitudinal design

• time-consuming, costly

• patient attrition

• practice and cohort effects