Cross-sectional research is quick but vulnerable to which issue?

• A. Attrition over time
• B. Cohort effects
• C. Laboratory measurement errors
• D. Need for informed consent

Answer: (B)

Cross-sectional research compares people of different ages at one point in time. Because each age group grew up in different historical and social contexts, differences you see across ages can reflect cohort effects—the unique experiences of each birth group—rather than true developmental changes. For example, variations in familiarity with technology between younger and older adults may stem from the era they grew up in, not aging itself. That’s why this design is quick but vulnerable to cohort effects.

Attrition over time is an issue for longitudinal studies, where participants drop out across multiple waves. Laboratory measurement errors can happen in any design, not specifically cross-sectional. Need for informed consent is an ethical requirement across all research designs, not a vulnerability unique to cross-sectional studies. To address cohort effects, researchers can use longitudinal or cross-sequential designs to separate aging effects from cohort differences.