My research topic for the course work is mental illness and aging. There are two types of developmental designs used in the study of psychology. The two developmental designs are cross-sectional design and the longitudinal design methods. Cross-sectional design involves the selection of two groups of different age groups then data about a similar aspect or a topic are collected. The data are then analyzed and compared between the two age groups. Conclusion is then drawn explaining the differences. The longitudinal design of developmental psychology involves the selection of a given age group and then research and data collection on that the sample is carried out for a longer period (Bordens and Bruce 338). Conclusion is then made, and explanations for the differences that have been noted are made. I have chosen the longitudinal design as the developmental, psychological design method to explore the topic of mental illness and aging. I have chosen this design method because the aspect of mental illness and aging needs to be studied for a longer period where the research is supposed to find out whether aging contributes to the increased levels of mental illness (Bordens and Bruce 340).
One of the pragmatic issues that the researcher faces while using this design is that the design is extremely expensive hence one need to use a smaller sample for research. In addition, some people fall out of the research hence shrinking the research sample even further. Because of this challenge, it becomes hard to conclude that the research on the small number of people can be used on a large population. This is because the sampled people might not have similar conditions like the other people in the population. Generational cohorts will be an issue in the study because many people have many generational beliefs that may be used or be followed over time hence influencing the results of the study (Bordens and Bruce 341).
Work cited
Bordens, Kenneth and Bruce Barrington Abbot. Research Designs and Methods: A Process
Approach (7th Ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill
