cross-sectional (adj.)

An application of the general use of this term in the field of child language ACQUISITION, referring to one of the two main procedures used in order to study the process of LANGUAGE development. In a cross-sectional study, the language of a group of children of the same or different ages is compared at a given point in time. This method contrasts with a LONGITUDINAL study, which follows the course of language acquisition in a single child or group over a period of time.