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Non-Classical Measurement Error in Long-Term Retrospective Recall Surveys

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Listed:
  • John Gibson

    (Department of Economics, University of Waikato)

  • Bonggeun Kim

    (Department of Economics, Seoul National University)

Abstract

Applied microeconomic researchers are beginning to use long-term retrospective survey data in settings where conventional longitudinal survey data are unavailable. However, inaccurate longterm recall could induce non-classical measurement error, for which conventional statistical corrections are less effective. In this paper, we use the unique Panel Study of Income Dynamics Validation Study to assess the accuracy of long-term retrospective recall data. We find underreporting of transitory variation which creates a non-classical measurement error problem.

Suggested Citation

  • John Gibson & Bonggeun Kim, 2009. "Non-Classical Measurement Error in Long-Term Retrospective Recall Surveys," CIRJE F-Series CIRJE-F-658, CIRJE, Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo.
    • Handle: RePEc:tky:fseres:2009cf658
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    10. Bonggeun Kim & Gary Solon, 2005. "Implications of Mean-Reverting Measurement Error for Longitudinal Studies of Wages and Employment," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 87(1), pages 193-196, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. John Gibson & Kathleen Beegle & Joachim De Weerdt & Jed Friedman, 2015. "What does Variation in Survey Design Reveal about the Nature of Measurement Errors in Household Consumption?," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 77(3), pages 466-474, June.
    2. Blessing M. Chiripanhura & Miguel Niño-Zarazúa, 2013. "The Impacts of the Food, fuel and Financial Crises on Households in Nigeria: a Retrospective Approach for Research Enquiry," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2013-058, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    3. Blessing M. Chiripanhura & Miguel Niño-Zarazúa, 2016. "The impacts of the food, fuel and financial crises on poor and vulnerable households in Nigeria: A retrospective approach to research inquiry," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 34(6), pages 763-788, November.
    4. Li, Chao & Gibson, John, 2013. "Rising Regional Inequality in China: Fact or Artifact?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 16-29.
    5. Abay, Kibrom A. & Abate, Gashaw T. & Barrett, Christopher B. & Bernard, Tanguy, 2019. "Correlated non-classical measurement errors, ‘Second best’ policy inference, and the inverse size-productivity relationship in agriculture," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 171-184.
    6. Niño-Zarazúa, Miguel & Chiripanhura, Blessing, 2013. "The impacts of the food, fuel and financial crises on households in Nigeria. A retrospective approach for research enquiry," MPRA Paper 47348, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Klemm, Marcus, 2011. "You Don't Know what You've got till It's Gone! Unemployment and Intertemporal Changes in Self-Reported Life Satisfaction," Ruhr Economic Papers 297, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    8. José Pulido & Tomasz Swiecki, 2019. "Barriers to Mobility or Sorting? Sources and Aggregate Implications of Income Gaps across Sectors and Locations in Indonesia," 2019 Meeting Papers 1298, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    9. John Gibson, 2021. "Better Night Lights Data, For Longer," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 83(3), pages 770-791, June.
    10. repec:lic:licosd:41819 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Kibrom A. Abay & Leah E. M. Bevis & Christopher B. Barrett, 2021. "Measurement Error Mechanisms Matter: Agricultural Intensification with Farmer Misperceptions and Misreporting," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 103(2), pages 498-522, March.
    12. Marcus Klemm, 2011. "You Don‘t Know what You‘ve got till It‘s Gone! Unemployment and Intertemporal Changes in Self-Reported Life Satisfaction," Ruhr Economic Papers 0297, Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universität Dortmund, Universität Duisburg-Essen.
    13. McKenzie, David, 2012. "Beyond baseline and follow-up: The case for more T in experiments," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(2), pages 210-221.
    14. Marcus Klemm, 2011. "You Don't Know What You've Got till It's Gone!: Unemployment and Intertemporal Changes in Self-Reported Life Satisfaction," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 421, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    15. Ragui Assaad & Caroline Krafft & Shaimaa Yassin, 2018. "Comparing retrospective and panel data collection methods to assess labor market dynamics," IZA Journal of Migration and Development, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 8(1), pages 1-34, December.
    16. repec:zbw:rwirep:0297 is not listed on IDEAS
    17. Bonggeun Kim & John Gibson & Chul Chung, 2017. "Using Panel Data to Estimate Income Under-Reporting by the Self-Employed," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 85(1), pages 41-64, January.
    18. Jorik Vergauwen & Jonas Wood & David De Wachter & Karel Neels, 2015. "Quality of demographic data in GGS Wave 1," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 32(24), pages 723-774.

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