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- Title
ESTIMATING RATES FROM RETROSPECTIVE QUESTIONS.
- Authors
Sørensen, Aage B.
- Abstract
The article discusses that in certain areas of sociological research, variables that measure the rate at which persons carry out a certain act are of central importance. This is the case in the analysis of social and geographical mobility and in the analysis of population processes. In most areas of sociology, rate variables are less frequently used. Variables that are measures of attitudes are generally preferred to variables that are direct measures of overt behavior. Still, direct measures of the rate at which a person exhibits some behavior would, in many instances, be preferable. The article shows that it is, nevertheless, possible to get estimates of rates from even very rudimentary over-time information that is obtained retrospectively. In fact, given certain assumptions about the process, it is possible to obtain an estimate knowing only the time interval between the last event or act before the interview and the interview itself. The article demonstrates this for the case where events occur according to a Poisson process.
- Subjects
ESTIMATION theory; RATE processes; SOCIOLOGICAL research; MATHEMATICAL variables; POISSON processes; OVERTIME
- Publication
Sociological Methodology, 1977, p209
- ISSN
0081-1750
- Publication type
Article