Document Type

Book Chapter

Publication Date

4-25-2025

Keywords

animals, change, constant factors, core feature, data, data collection, decades, development, duration of study, human observation, humans, information, initial data, initial observation, limited duration, longitudinal studies, missing data, multi-wave research, observation sessions, organizations, outcome tracking, participants, person, phenomena, phenomena change, repeated observations, research, research design, research methods, research settings, sample, tracking change, tracking over time, wave data, waves

Disciplines

Developmental Psychology | Experimental Analysis of Behavior

Abstract

Longitudinal studies provide information about phenomena constancy and change. Their core feature is that the phenomena under investigation are observed repeatedly in the same participants (e.g., persons, animals, organizations), which requires collecting data at multiple time points (called waves). The participants, phenomena observed, duration of study, and number of waves can greatly differ between studies. For example, longitudinal studies with animals often gather data across many waves, but the entire study may only last a few days or weeks. By contrast, longitudinal studies with humans typically gather data at just a few waves but may last years or decades.

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