"Trends in Scores on Tests of Cognitive Ability in the Elderly U.S. Population, 1993": Authors' Reply to the Commentary
Year: 2003
Type: letter
Abstract: We thank Freedman and Martin (2003) for their comments and for stimulating discussion on this important topic. Their comments speak to a fundamental tenet of survey methodology: the superiority of repeated cross-sectional data for studying aggregate population changes and the drawbacks associated with using panel data for such studies. In general, however, the research community tends to be more interested in studying individual-level transitions rather than population trends, and for this reason greater priority has been placed on conducting long-term panel studies rather than repeated cross-sectional studies. Panel surveys, particularly those using cohort replacement, can be used to study cohort trends, but researchers must be aware of the potential caveats and address them carefully in the analysis. We did this to the best of our understanding of the issues, but we realize that researchers will differ in their views and approaches. Indeed, we feel that such differences are critical to the advancement of science.
Authors: W. L. Rodgers, M. B. Ofstedal
Institutions: University of Michigan, Institute for Social Research
Language: English
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W1999017566