Final answer:
Cohort effects describe the developmental influences related to historical events that affect members of a specific generation or cohort, impacting their behavior and attitudes.
Step-by-step explanation:
When undertaking research that employs a life-course perspective, the examination of how developmental influences are associated with historical events is crucial. These events, which affect members of a specific cohort—people born around the same time and thus experiencing historical events at similar points in their lives—are referred to as cohort effects. They are different from socio-economic positions, nonnormative events, and virtual landscape factors in that cohort effects pertain to changes and developments influenced by social and historical factors that are experienced communally by a group. For example, individuals who grew up during the Great Depression may have similar outlooks on finances and resource conservation, illustrating a cohort effect, as these attitudes were shaped by the historical context of economic hardship.
This concept is essential to understand because it helps explain variations in behavior and attitudes within different generations. Indeed, cohort effects can significantly influence an individual's life course, often incorporating public forces that change society and government, which in turn impact personal decisions and developmental milestones.