Cross-sectional studies
Compares people of different ages at the same point in time. The problem is, you can’t determine whether the age causes the difference or the time the different groups grew up in.
Longitudinal Studies
Tracks a single age group over a long period of time. Here, you can’t tell if changes are caused by aging or by a dynamic world.
Cross-Sequential Studies
People of all different ages are followed over long periods of time.