Measuring attitudinal change in repeated cross-sectional surveys: beliefs about the self, life, and society among Swiss elders (1979-1994) * Author note. This study was funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation PNR “Vieillesses” (No 4032-35728). The authors would like to thank Jean-François Bickel, Carole Maystre, Nathalie Vollenwyder for their collaboration on this study, and Nathalie Ducommun for her editorial assistance.