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Psychological Attributes, Cognitive Abilities and Behaviour

Psychological Attributes, Cognitive Abilities and Behaviour. Dieter Wolke & Zach Estes University of Warwick. Structure of the Consultation. Introduction to the UKHLS Psychological Attributes and Behaviour - challenges - criteria - Importance: Core Measures-brainstorming

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Psychological Attributes, Cognitive Abilities and Behaviour

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  1. Psychological Attributes, Cognitive Abilities and Behaviour Dieter Wolke & Zach Estes University of Warwick UKHLS Consultation Psychology, 28/06/07, RSS

  2. Structure of the Consultation • Introduction to the UKHLS • Psychological Attributes and Behaviour - challenges - criteria - Importance: Core Measures-brainstorming - Specific areas/modules UKHLS Consultation Psychology, 28/06/07, RSS

  3. The UK Household Longitudinal Study UKHLS Consultation Psychology, 28/06/07, RSS

  4. Who we are – the scientific leadership team Nick Buck (ISER, Essex) – Principal investigator Randy Banks (ISER) Stephen Jenkins (ISER) Heather Laurie (ISER) Peter Lynn (ISER) Steve Pudney (ISER) Lucinda Platt (ISER) – ethnicity strand Richard Berthoud (ISER) – ethnicity strand Heidi Mirza (Institute of Education) – ethnicity strand Dieter Wolke (Warwick) – biomedical strand Scott Weich (Warwick) – biomedical strand UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  5. Structure of presentation • Background and developments so far • UKHLS objectives and key features • Structure of UKHLS and constraints • The UKHLS questionnaire • Relationship to BHPS • The consultation process • Some general issues for consideration • Timetable UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  6. Background • UKLHS is a longitudinal study based on a household panel design, i.e. • sample based on all residents (adults and children) at addresses selected at wave one, following them at each wave, including movers and collecting data about new household members • Similar in design to British Household Panel Survey, which it will replace, and panels in other countries, e.g. SOEP, HILDA, PSID, SoFIE • Target sample size of 40,000 households – largest HPS UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  7. Background (2) • Major investment in the UKHLS is motivated by the success of longitudinal research in UK • Most diverse portfolio of studies in the world: • In addition to BHPS: Birth cohort studies (NCDS, BCS1970, MCS, ALSPAC), Studies of ageing (ELSA), Youth cohort studies (YCS, LSYPE), Census link studies and others • Longitudinal research has had major impacts on both scientific research and policy research UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  8. UKHLS informed by rationales for longitudinal research • Net versus gross change: gross change visible only from longitudinal data • e.g. decomposition of change in unemployment rate over time into contributions from inflows and outflows • Some phenomena are inherently longitudinal (e.g. poverty persistence; unstable employment) • Provides spell-based perspectives (and can observe how circumstances change with time spent in state) • Repeated observations on individuals allow for possibility of controlling for unobserved differences between individuals (fixed and random effect models) • The ability to make causal inference is enhanced by temporal ordering UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  9. Developments so far • ESRC secured strategic infrastructure funding from OSI to start UKHLS • Expert Panel (chair Peter Elias) steered development of UKHLS up to appointment of PI team • 4 expert studies made recommendations on content and design – presented at meeting in October 2006 • November 2006 – March 2007, commissioning of principal investigator team • From April 2007, PI team starts work with consultation and commission survey organisation • ESRC continues to seek co-funding UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  10. Key features of UKHLS The following should be exploited and shape the priorities for topic content: • Large sample size proposed • Household focus of the design • Full age range sample • Innovative data collection methods • Multi-purpose multi-topic design to meet a wide range of disciplinary and inter-disciplinary research needs • Ethnic minority research • Biomedical research. UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  11. Key features: large sample size • 40,000 households gives an opportunity to explore issues where other longitudinal surveys are too small. • Small subgroups, such as teenage parents or disabled people. • Analysis at regional and sub-regional levels, allowing examination of the effects of geographical variation • Large sample size allows high-resolution analysis of events in time, for example focussing on single-year age cohorts. UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  12. Key features: household focus • Data collected on all members of sampled households • Important for research on e.g. • consumption and income, where within-household sharing of resources is important, • demographic change, where the household itself is often the object of study. • Observing multiple generations and siblings allows examination of long-term transmission processes • Opportunities to explore linkages outside the household UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  13. Key features: full age range • The UKHLS sample includes full age range at any point in time – so complements age-focused studies sampling elderly people (e.g. ELSA) or young people (e.g. birth cohort studies) • Provide a unique look at behaviours and transitions in mid-life – e.g. for issues of pensions and long-term care, associated with old age, policy setting is influenced by earlier behaviour. • Large sample size means that all cohorts can be analysed at a common point in time. UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  14. Key features: innovative data collection • Continuous development in data collection methods benefiting from: • experience from other longitudinal surveys, • the introduction of new technologies. • This will involve e.g.: • additional modes of interviewing, • collection of qualitative and direct quantitative assessment • external record linkage • Innovation Panel to allow experimentation and methodological development. UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  15. Key features: broad interdisciplinary topic coverage • UKHLS will be multi-purpose survey supporting a very wide range of research agenda • … which means it cannot have the focus in depth that more specialist surveys can achieve • Strength arises from bringing together information on many life course domains • Interdisciplinary: aims both to meet needs of traditional panel use disciplines (economics, social policy and sociology) and support more interdisciplinary work within the social sciences (e.g. geography and economics); within the biomedical sciences (e.g. psychology and genetics); and between the two. UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  16. Key features: ethnic minority research • Ethnicity strand includes: • Boost sample for five key groups (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Carribean, Black African) • Questions focused on ethnicity issues • Recognises the increasing prominence of research into ethnic difference for understanding the make-up of British society and issues of diversity and commonality. UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  17. Key features: biomedical researh • UKHLS will support collection of a wide range of biomarkers and health indicators • Opportunity to assess exposure and antecedent factors of health status, understanding disease mechanisms (e.g. gene-environment interaction, gene-to-function links), household and socioeconomic effects and analysis of outcomes using direct assessments or data linkage. • Opens up prospects for advances at the interface between social science and biomedical research. UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  18. UKHLS study design • Start with a sample of addresses, all members of private households found will be sample members. • At each wave all sample members above a threshold age eligible for interview. • Other individuals who form households with sample members after wave 1 eligible for interview. • UKHLS will be a longitudinal sample of individuals representing the whole UK population, and interviewed within a household context. • Individuals followed as they move and form new households. • Following rules mean that the UKHLS will remain representative of the UK population as it changes, subject to weighting and except for new immigrants to the UK. UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  19. UKHLS sample consists of: • A new equal probability main panel achieved sample of 28,000 - 29,000 households. The fieldwork for this sample will commence in January 2009 • A boost ethnic minority sample, to provide 1,000 adult individuals in each of the five main ethnic minority groups • The BHPS sample of approximately 8,400 households. BHPS sample data collection as part of the UKHLS will start with wave 2 in October 2009 • An Innovation Panel of 1500 households to enable methodological research. The fieldwork for the Innovation Panel will commence in January 2008. UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  20. UKHLS design • Some aspects remain to be finalised and depend partly on co-funding. The following are expected: • 12 month intervals between interviews • Continuous fieldwork (implications for reference periods for retrospective questions) [Possible 24 month field period, with second wave overlapping with first] • Face-to-face interview at wave 1; mixed mode at wave 2 • Wave 1 individual interview not more than 40 minutes, wave 2 depends on budget, unlikely to exceed 40 minutes and may be shorter • Some data collection from children aged less than 16 – not clear when this would start UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  21. The UKHLS questionnaire • Length constraints are likely to be particularly acute, given broad scope of UKHLS and wide range of demands • So move away from BHPS structure where most people are eligible to be asked all questions and most questions repeated each wave • More use of questions asked regularly, but not every wave • More use of questions asked only after key events or at particular ages • More use of sub-samples, perhaps random sub-samples, where full sample unnecessary, or demographic sub-samples UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  22. Structure of the UKHLS questionnaire UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  23. Consultation on UKHLS content • Key aims are to establish 1) the priorities for inclusion in the UKHLS, 2) the content of the core questionnaire (i.e. that part intended to be repeated at each wave), and 3) the content and sequencing of modules which might be included less frequently, or only be addressed to part of the sample. • Objective is to consult as widely as possible, within the constraints of the timetable (more on this later) • Particular objective to go beyond current longitudinal study users, and identify new areas UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  24. Methods of consultation • Topic groups (next slide) • Ethnicity strand consultation • Advisory committees and Governing Board • Using UKHLS web site to make documents on design available • Targeted consultation with e.g. government departments, ESRC Boards and Directors, other research councils • Encouraging comments from any interested parties UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  25. Topic consultation groups • Standard of living measures (income, consumption, material deprivation, expenditure, financial well-being) • Family, social networks and interactions, local contexts, social support, technology and social contacts • Attitudes and behaviours related to environmental issues (energy, transport, air quality, global warming etc.) • Illicit and risky behaviour (crime, drug use, anti-social behaviour etc). • Lifestyle, social, political, religious and other participation, identity and related practices, dimensions of life satisfaction/happiness • Psychological attributes, cognitive abilities and behaviour • Preferences, beliefs, attitudes and expectations • Health outcomes and health related behaviour • Education, human capital and work • Initial conditions, life history UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  26. Topic groups • We do not expect topic groups to be designing questions or questionnaire sections; we are expecting them to identify measures and to justify their importance in terms of key research agenda • Topic group first meetings taking place between 25 June and 16 July, • Over the summer expected to continue business, mainly electronically • Convenors will be summarising conclusions; questionnaire design team will have access to all comments received • Topic group cover may not be exhaustive – some research areas may be missing. Let me know about those which concern you particularly. UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  27. Some cross-cutting issues for most topic groups • What is the optimal data collection frequency for measures from a research perspective? • What level of detail is really required? • For retrospective and flow measures what is the most appropriate reference period? • To what extent is it necessary to collect information about each individual within the household? • To what extent can data be reliably collected by one respondent on behalf of all others in the same household? UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  28. More cross-cutting issues • How important is continuity of measurement relative to the existing BHPS, and comparability with other UK national surveys? • To what extent is cross-national comparability an important consideration when choosing a measure? • To what extent can linkage with administrative and other data sources provide data that can substitute or complement collection of that data within the UKHLS? UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  29. Mode of data collection • First wave face-to-face, likely that future waves will use other modes, e.g. telephone, internet • Questions to be asked at every wave should be comparable whatever mode is used • Implications for design of core content (e.g. long lists are difficult over telephone) • NB: we will be using Innovation panel to explore this further UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  30. Respondent burden issues • UKHLS will involve repeated contacts with sample members • The better the experience at any wave the more likely take part next wave – particularly important at first wave and other early waves until some commitment to study is established • Therefore: • First wave cannot be too long • Avoid subject matter which is likely to be very sensitive • Minimise subject matter likely to be uninteresting to respondents (though different respondents have different interests!) UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  31. Timetable UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  32. Psychology Opportunities UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  33. Psychology Opportunities • Address questions at the interface between social science, psychology and biomedical research (might include gene x environment interactions). • Longitudinal design, household recruitment and sample size make UKHLS uniquely suited to studying - Transitions across entire lifespan (inc pre-conception) - Effects of household and family on each others psychological functioning (generational effects, family environment) - Ethnic differences • Psychological attributes should show clear individual variation at each “stage” of development • Linkage to routine data sources (e.g. educational records: SATs etc.)? UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  34. Challenges • Limited questionnaire space and interview time • Respondent fatigue • Interviewer training and equipment costs for even basic psychological assessments (e.g. IQ, perception, memory etc.) • No funding beyond some core measures • Non-participation in psychologically invasive procedures (e.g. romantic relationships, sexuality etc.) • Optimum measurement frequency will vary greatly and according to age • Huge range of potential psychological measures UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  35. Some Selection Questions • Methods may range from experimental assessment and behavioural observation to survey methods. • attributes show inter-individual variation at each time point and intra-individual variation over time to be useful for the study of longitudinal trajectories • could be an outcome variable • potential to predict outcomes (e.g. health, education etc.) or mediate or moderate between social environment or family factors and outcomes • should (but not necessarily) address a construct that can be studied from childhood to old age. • Short, innovative, reliable & valid • Scientific theory UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  36. Possible Topic Areas? • Personality variables • Social behaviour and interaction • Romantic/sexual behaviour • Communication skills • Emotional processing • Creative abilities • Beliefs and values • Intelligence • Memory (e.g. autobiographical, working, prospective) • Perceptual and motor skills • Achievement (e.g., literacy, numeracy, time management) • Eating behaviour UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  37. Brain Storm “Must” Areas • Rahman: Human sexual orientation. Related to mental health and health related outcomes (example HIV) and cognition. Stable over time. Easily measured. Short easy scales (feel, behaviour, e.g. “are you attracted to…”). Risky sexual behaviour (for example, number of same sex; maybe ask about in last 12 months, 2+ partners in last 12 month as indicator for risky sexual behaviour). Childhood – e.g. getting married when older. Endophenotypes (e.g. hormones) – go sexual feeling behaviour measures. Once to every 5 years. 2 mins. Mainly as predictor variable. What is the best age? Aged 20+. Issue of whether other family members are around. Questions re identity not ideal, especially for women. Questions about feelings/behaviour might be better for non-response. • Amanda Roberts: Risky behaviour – pornography use (e.g. Kinsey Institute USA). E.g. fathers/family attitudes towards pornography (8 item scale). Addiction to the internet. Potential problems in asking questions re ethnicity. Ethical issue because of illegality. UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  38. Brain Storm “Must” Areas • Alternative communication: SMS, internet, messenger, my space, blogs, chat rooms – effects social communication, family time, quality – conflict. Social intelligence. May inform how social relationships develop and change. • Online gambling • Ingrid Schoon: Underlying components: - personality measures (big five); optimism, goal orientation, self-efficacy, gratitude. Potential overlap of Big Five and Satisfaction. - values, agency - satisfaction (life, job, relationship, domain), wellbeing (wave 15 BHPS) - Amanda Sacker: attitudes and beliefs (life transitions, life choices), might be most relevant for young people - aspirations, ambitions (European Social Survey, British Cohort Study), 1-5 item scales UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  39. Brain Storm “Must” Areas • Langdon: cognitive assessments (IQ), IQ powerful predictor for life satisfaction, divorce etc. Relatively stable – related to nearly all outcomes (protective and risk factor); put in intellectual measure for children, pick up delayed children (disability); educational potential (underachievement etc.) – 2-3 mins. to get to g-factor. Mazes. Ability to train interviewer. Possible issue with language – many tests are language-specific. Measure in childhood, adulthood, and senior (>55). • Cognitive – adults, transmission, assortive mating; degenerative conditions (ageing) – prospective memory, social outcome (e.g. employment etc.) – household, effect of decline of others in household. Age group 55+ UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  40. Brain Storm “Must” Areas • Cognitive continued: spot the word test (Alan Baddeley); digit span (not culture free); visual spatial skills. • Basic skills: literacy (functional), numeracy (standard set of 5 items in cohort studies) • Ingrid Schoon: Stress and tension – daily hassles, conflict, life events; chaos; YUK scale • Sarah Woods & DW: Domestic violence, bullying (home, school, work, neighbours, online, siblings), towards older people, conflicts in the household. 6-items for bullying • Ingrid Schoon: Social inclusion (bonding, bridging) within and outside world, social support; not every year; attachment within family, financial and emotional problems, network questions UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  41. Brainstorming • Amanda Roberts: Normal eating, diet, obesity – variety and exposure (food frequency); regular mealtimes, eating disorder, exposure to food during childhood, diet restricted by finances, cook themselves • Andrea: Social relationship within the family; asking about grand parents/parents; household communication; standard scales (Ingrid), parenting behaviour, do family members talk about 1. fears, 2. politics. Communication between partners • Adoption, IVF (genetic relationship). • Regional/ethnicity families (wider context – uncles etc.), interracial relationships • Creative abilities • Major achievements in life, most proud of • Entrepreneurship, leisure activities, pets in the household • Household au-pairs; lodgers UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  42. Brainstorming • Attitudes to the environment • Creative abilities (music, other skills)-values • Entrepreneurhip/values • Hobbies • Pets (old people; children) • Neuromotor/motor development/motor perceptual. Measure with mazes, standing on one leg, stepping backward, etc. • Problem solving • Attention regulation (high correlation) • Social cognitive functioning, emotion recognition (e.g., faces) • Moral reasoning • Emotional intelligence • Decision making (household decision making) • Perception of risk/ statistical reasoning UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  43. Brain Storm “Must” Areas • Locus of control, lifestyle • Happiness, wellbeing • Mindfulness, empathy, sympathy UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  44. Most important • Sexual orientation (highly stable)?! Once to measure; later wave • Measures to be repeated – to go in wave 1; most crucial for prediction • Cognitive, literacy • Eating • Stress • IQ particularly important for kids and older people • Literacy for adults, life satisfaction UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  45. The end - unpressured UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  46. END UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  47. Core Measures: Initial UKHLS Focus Personality & Social Skills Describing personality characteristics (normal variation) or social relationships/inclusion (e.g. bullying and exclusion) Cognitive “Capital” Globally or specific (IQ or specific skills) Both, particular interest in understanding Vulnerability, Resilience and Protective factors (e.g. labour participation, income potential, family planning…) UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  48. Longitudinal Research: Assessments 60 years apart Deary, I. J., Whiteman, M. C., Starr, J. M., Whalley, L. J., & Fox, H. C. (2004). The Impact of Childhood Intelligence on Later Life: Following Up the Scottish Mental Surveys of 1932 and 1947. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 86(1), 130-147. UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  49. Childhood IQ and Longevity (Inter-individual change in intra-individual Development) UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

  50. Non-core Funding EXAMPLES • Romantic Relationships and Sexual Relationships (Relevance teenage sex, STI’s to quality of partner relationship, divorce and household composition) • Achievement (e.g. educational vs. potential) • Socio-emotional processing (social cognition) • Motor and Perceptual Skills UKHLS Consultation Psychology 28/06/07, RSS

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