A Researcher Conducts a Cross-Sectional Study in Order to Investigate

Multiple Choice

A researcher conducts a cross-sectional study in order to investigate how body image changes during adolescence. She administers body image questionnaires to groups of 10-, 12-, 14-, 16-, and 18-year-olds, and checks on the differences of the average scores of the five groups. What concerns do you have about her results?

A) Differences may be found due to differences in age cohort rather than maturation.
B) Changes in the environment can distort the results.
C) Changes in the secular trend can distort the results.
D) There is no control group.