Are Divorce Studies Trustworthy? The Effects of Survey Nonresponse and Response Errors

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Are Divorce Studies Trustworthy? The Effects of Survey Nonresponse and Response Errors
Language: English
Authors: Mitchell, Colter
Source: Journal of Marriage and Family. Aug 2010 72(4):893-905.
Availability: Wiley-Blackwell. 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148. Tel: 800-835-6770; Tel: 781-388-8598; Fax: 781-388-8232; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/
Peer Reviewed: Y
Physical Description: PDF
Page Count: 13
Publication Date: 2010
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Divorce, Child Custody, Research, Surveys, Responses, Error Patterns, Predictor Variables, Models, Life Satisfaction, Gender Differences, Marital Status, Educational Attainment, Marital Satisfaction
DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2010.00737.x
ISSN: 0022-2445
Abstract: Researchers rely on relationship data to measure the multifaceted nature of families. This article speaks to relationship data quality by examining the ramifications of different types of error on divorce estimates, models predicting divorce behavior, and models employing divorce as a predictor. Comparing matched survey and divorce certificate information from the 1995 Life Events and Satisfaction Study (N = 1,811) showed that nonresponse error is responsible for the majority of the error in divorce data. Misreporting the divorce event was rare, and more than two thirds of respondents provided a divorce date within 6 months of the actual date. Nevertheless, divorce date error attenuated effects of time since divorce on outcomes. Gender, child custody, marital history, and education were associated with divorce error.
Abstractor: As Provided
Number of References: 35
Entry Date: 2010
Accession Number: EJ889780
Database: ERIC
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