Each has its own specific advantages and disadvantages.
Some involve looking at different cross-sections of a population, while others look at how participants change over time.
In other cases, researchers look at how whether certain variables appear to have a relationship with one another.
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so that determine if there is a cause-and-effect relationship, however, psychologists much conduct experimental research.
Cross-Sectional Research Methods
Cross-sectional researchinvolves looking at different groups of people with specific characteristics.
The disadvantage is that the research aims to make a direct association between a cause and an effect.
This is not always so easy.
In some cases, there may be confounding factors that contribute to the effect.
Longitudinal Research Methods
Longitudinal researchinvolves studying the same group of individuals over an extended period of time.
Data is collected at the outset of the study and gathered repeatedly through the course of study.
In some cases, longitudinal studies can last for several decades or be open-ended.
The benefit of this longitudinal research is that it allows researchers to look at changes over time.
By contrast, one of the obvious disadvantages is cost.
Correlational Research Methods
Correlational researchaims to determine if one variable has a measurable association with another.
Instead, they gather and evaluate the available data and offer a statistical conclusion.
It would be impractical and unreasonable to artificially inflate the noise level in a working environment.
Instead, researchers might collect data and then look for correlations between the variables of interest.
Limitations of Correlational Research
Correlational research has its limitations.
Experimental Research Methods
Unlike correlational research, experimentation involves both the manipulation and measurement ofvariables.
Experimental research uses manipulation to understand cause and effect in a sampling of subjects.
A double-blind randomized controlled trial (RCT) is considered the gold standard of research.
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