Ch 8: Longitudinal Studies – Flashcards
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Longitudinal Studies
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research conducted over many points in time -TIME COMPONENT!! -needs to be at least 2 different points in time. -3 types: 1. trend studies 2. cohort analysis 3. panel studies
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Longitudinal Studies - Trend Studies (know when to use, +/- , and how to minimize negatives)
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(most common) -surveys that track -conduct SAME survey with DIFFERENT people within the SAME sample at DIFFERENT times. -measures how attitudes change when to use: -for PR and AD rebranding -studying a specific group (at a certain age, grade, etc.) ex: seeing how happy freshman are
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+ Advantages of Trend Studies
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-easy to conduct -low intensity -helps describe long-term changes in a population/shifts in public opinion. -*CAN be based on survey data originally made for another purpose (saving time, $, and effort)
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- Disadvantages of Trend Studies
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-CAN'T identify cause and effect (you're using different people) -if using secondary research, study can only be as good as original data. -must be based on consistent measures.
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Longitudinal Studies - Cohort Analysis (know when to use, +/- , and how to minimize negatives)
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-studies COHORTS: people in SAME population and how that group changes overtime (usually those born in the same period of time) -can use same or different people; as long as they're from the same GENERATION. measures: -is there anything unique about this group that changes their attitudes/behaviors? -due to aging? -due to time period? ex: following freshman through their years at BU
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+ Advantages of Cohort Analysis
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-very flexible -insight into effects of MATURATION and social/political/cultural change -can use with both original or secondary data -can be less $ than experiments/surveys
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- Disadvantages of Cohort Analysis
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-SPECIFIC effects of age, cohort, period are hard to determine through purely statistical analysis. -testing cohort DIFFERENES for significance is hard. -SAMPLE MORTALITY
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Sample Mortality
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if a long period of time is involved (people drop out) OR if sample group is too hard to reach.
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Longitudinal Studies - Panel Studies (know when to use, +/- , and how to minimize negatives)
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measure SAME sample of people and follow them over time. -not used un AD/PR research (time consuming) -studies CAUSE AND EFFECT -3 types of panel studies: 1. follow back panel 2. catch up panel 3. retrospective panel
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+ Advantages of Panel Studies
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-data helps answer questions about "CHANGE" -competing stimuli doesn't effect: since the process is over a long time, researcher can allow for such influences.
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- Disadvantages of Panel Studies
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-panel members are hard to recruit (process becomes tedious) -mortality -TIME CONSUMING
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Follow Back panel (panel studies)
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based on an original study - create a NEW study using people that fit population from past survey and RE-SURVEY! (same sample, different people in that sample)
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+ Advantages of Follow Back panels
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-changes that occurred years ago can be analyzed in a short period of time. -great for dwindling populations: researcher can create sample from baseline investigations conducted earlier.
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- Disadvantages of Follow Back panels
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-depends on archival data (archives don't contain many variables that interest MASS MEDIA researchers) -new sample may not represent ALL entities.
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Catch Up panel (panel studies)
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recreating a study that's already been done and finding ALL POSSIBLE UNITS OF ANALYSIS (same people) for re-study. (same sample and same people)
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+ Advantages of Catch Up panels
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-highly useful if proper archival data exists (rich in detail)
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- Disadvantages of Catch Up panels
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-if archive study wasn't constructed to be a longitudinal study, original measurements will have to be modified. -researcher is confined by original study's variables -difficult to contact same participants!!
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Retrospective panel (panel studies)
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taking a very SPECIFIC SAMPLE (all sharing something in common) and asking about that common variable... -ask to recall past attitudes -then compare attitudes to a later measurement of the SAME common variable. (same sample, same people, same common variable)
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+ Advantages of Retrospective panels
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-instant longitudinal design -saves time and $
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- Disadvantages of Retrospective panels
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-people have bad memories -less accurate answers: (may misrepresent the past OR give faulty "socially preferred" responses.)
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Minimizing Sample Mortality
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-offer stipend/incentive -establish credibility with group -get to know panel group members (and people in their lives) so you can know/find out where they are. -keep contact even when panel isn't in session -give members a contact card
