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Measurement error in the AFQT in the NLSY79

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  • Schofield, Lynne Steuerle

Abstract

Many promising efforts in the social sciences aim to measure future outcomes (such as wages or health outcomes) given some base level of human capital or ability. They typically fail to recognize the proxies for human capital are all measured with error, creating bias in regression analysis. Here I show how item level data offers the opportunity to improve a broad range of economic, social and psychometric studies, an opportunity now enhanced significantly by the new release of item response level data for the Armed Forces Qualifying Test in the 1979 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth.

Suggested Citation

  • Schofield, Lynne Steuerle, 2014. "Measurement error in the AFQT in the NLSY79," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 123(3), pages 262-265.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:123:y:2014:i:3:p:262-265
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2014.02.026
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Jacopo Mazza & Hans van Ophem, 2020. "Educational Choice, Initial Wage and Wage Growth," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 20-030/III, Tinbergen Institute.
    2. Eric R. Nielsen, 2019. "Test Questions, Economic Outcomes, and Inequality," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2019-013, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    3. Benjamin Williams, 2019. "Identification of a nonseparable model under endogeneity using binary proxies for unobserved heterogeneity," Quantitative Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 10(2), pages 527-563, May.
    4. Jacob Loree, 2019. "Multidimensional Skill Specialization and Mismatch Over the Lifecycle," 2019 Meeting Papers 892, Society for Economic Dynamics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Measurement error; NLSY79; AFQT;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C1 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General
    • C8 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Data Collection and Data Estimation Methodology; Computer Programs

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