In developmental psychology, which of the following best describes a longitudinal study that will follow children over time?

• A. The same group of children is repeatedly assessed at multiple time points as they age.
• B. Different groups of children of various ages are assessed at a single point in time.
• C. Researchers observe children in a natural setting without any follow-up assessments.
• D. Children are randomly assigned to different experimental conditions for a short-term intervention.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the definition of a longitudinal study in developmental psychology. A longitudinal study involves observing or assessing the same participants repeatedly over an extended period of time to track changes and development.
2. Step 2: Identify the key characteristic of a longitudinal study: the same group of children is assessed multiple times as they grow older, allowing researchers to observe developmental changes within individuals.
3. Step 3: Contrast this with a cross-sectional study, where different groups of children of various ages are assessed at a single point in time, which does not track individual development over time.
4. Step 4: Recognize that naturalistic observation without follow-up assessments does not qualify as longitudinal because it lacks repeated measurements over time.
5. Step 5: Note that randomly assigning children to experimental conditions for a short-term intervention is an experimental design, not a longitudinal observational study.