Question

Cross-sectional and longitudinal designs are types of:

• A. causal research
• B. exploratory research
• C. descriptive research
• D. none of these

Hint:

Think of descriptive research as answering “what is happening” — cross-sectional is a snapshot, longitudinal is a movie.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the two designs.
- Cross-sectional design: Data collected from different groups at a single point in time — like a snapshot.
- Longitudinal design: Data collected from the same subjects repeatedly over a period of time — like a video recording of change.
Step 2: Relating to research type.
Both aim to describe characteristics, patterns, or trends without manipulating variables. This makes them descriptive research methods.
Step 3: Elimination.
- (a) Causal research identifies cause-effect relationships — not applicable here.
- (b) Exploratory research is flexible and unstructured — not the case here.
- (d) “None of these” is wrong because descriptive is correct. \[ \boxed{(c)} \]