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Accuracy of Retrospective Reports of Family Environment

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Abstract

Retrospective reports of family environments are often the only way to collect the data concerning the influence of a child’s experience in the family on later development. However, the accuracy of retrospective measures can be problematic because of social desirability or potential failures of memory. The purpose of this study is to compare retrospective and prospective measures of family environment. In this unique study, 198 parents and 241 adolescent children (mean age 15.7) described their family environment, and then 25 years later, completed retrospective reports. We test the effects of memory, positivity, gender, and generation on retrospective reports, as well as testing the ability of prospective and retrospective measures to predict adult well-being and adult–child/elder–parent relationships. Results show moderate correlations of 0.30–0.45 between prospective and retrospective measures. In examining the relative effectiveness of prospective and retrospective measures to predict later life outcomes, we find that retrospective reports of the family environment most validly capture influences on the child in domains of strong emotional content but are less successful in cognitive domains.

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Acknowledgements

Wave 1 research was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (MH28190; MH 29944), the University of Chicago, and the University of Houston—Clear Lake. Wave 2 was supported by the University of Houston—Clear Lake, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis

Author Contributions

D.B.: Consulted on the design of the study, conducted data analyses, and organized and wrote the paper. L.B.: Designed and executed the study and collaborated in the writing and editing of the final manuscript.

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  1. IUPUI, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    David C. Bell & Linda G. Bell

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  1. David C. Bell
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  2. Linda G. Bell
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Correspondence to David C. Bell.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in this study were in accordance with the ethical standards of the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments. Wave 2 data collection was approved by the University of Houston IRB. Wave 1 data collection predated the Belmont Report and the establishment of IRBs. Nevertheless, all Wave 1 families signed an informed consent document and were debriefed.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Bell, D.C., Bell, L.G. Accuracy of Retrospective Reports of Family Environment. J Child Fam Stud 27, 1029–1040 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-017-0948-5

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