Testing sampling bias in estimates of adolescent social competence and behavioral control

M. Fakkel*, M. Peeters, P. Lugtig, M. A.J. Zondervan-Zwijnenburg, E. Blok, T. White, M. van der Meulen, S. T. Kevenaar, G. Willemsen, M. Bartels, D. I. Boomsma, H. Schmengler, S. Branje, W. A.M. Vollebergh

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to JournalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

In 5 of the 6 large Dutch developmental cohorts investigated here, lower SES adolescents are underrepresented and higher SES adolescents overrepresented. With former studies clearly revealing differences between SES strata in adolescent social competence and behavioral control, this misrepresentation may contribute to an overestimation of normative adolescent competence. Using a raking procedure, we used national census statistics to weigh the cohorts to be more representative of the Dutch population. Contrary to our expectations, in all cohorts, little to no differences between SES strata were found in the two outcomes. Accordingly, no differences between weighted and unweighted mean scores were observed across all cohorts. Furthermore, no clear change in correlations between social competence and behavioral control was found. These findings are most probably explained by the fact that measures of SES in the samples were quite limited, and the low SES participants in the cohorts could not be considered as representative of the low SES groups in the general population. Developmental outcomes associated with SES may be affected by a raking procedure in other cohorts that have a sufficient number and sufficient variation of low SES adolescents.

Original languageEnglish
Article number100872
Pages (from-to)1-9
Number of pages9
JournalDevelopmental Cognitive Neuroscience
Volume46
Early online date22 Oct 2020
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2020

Funding

Author MF was supported by the Consortium on Individual Development (CID) . CID is funded through the Gravitation program of the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science and the NWO (Grant 024.001.003 ). L-CID and YOUth are also funded by this Gravitation program . Generation R is made possible by financial support from the Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands ; Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) ; and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport . NTR has been supported by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (Grants 904-57-094 , 575-25-006 , 575-25-012 ). RADAR has been financially supported by main grants from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research ( GBMAGW 480-03-005 ), and Stichting Achmea Slachtofferhulp en Samenleving (SASS) , and various other grants for the VU University of Amsterdam and Utrecht University . TRAILS has been financially supported by grants from The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research NWO (Medical Research Council program grant GB-MW 940-38-011 ; ZonMW Brainpower grant 100-001-004 ; ZonMw Risk Behavior and Dependence grant 60-60600-97-118 ; ZonMw Culture and Health grant 261-98-710 ; Social Sciences Council medium-sized investment grants GB-MaGW 480-01-006 and GB-MaGW 480-07-001 ; Social Sciences Council project grants GB-MaGW 452-04-314 and GB-MaGW 452-06-004 ; NWO large-sized investment grant 175.010.2003.005 ; NWO Longitudinal Survey and Panel Funding 481-08-013 ; NWO Vici 016.130.002 ; NWO Gravitation 024.001.003 ), the Dutch Ministry of Justice (WODC) , the European Science Foundation (EuroSTRESS project FP-006), Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure BBMRI-NL (CP 32), the participating universities and the Accare Centre for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry . Cohorts were further supported by individually assigned research grants and other sources of funding; see referenced design paper for more information.

FundersFunder number
Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure BBMRI-NLCP 32
Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science
Dutch Ministry of Justice
Organization for Health Research and Development
Social Sciences CouncilGB-MaGW 480-07-001, GB-MaGW 452-06-004, GB-MaGW 480-01-006, GB-MaGW 452-04-314
Stichting Achmea Slachtofferhulp en Samenleving
University Medical Center, Rotterdam
VU University of Amsterdam and Utrecht University
ZonMW Brainpower
ZonMw Culture and Health261-98-710
ZonMw Risk Behavior and Dependence60-60600-97-118
Medical Research CouncilGB-MW 940-38-011
European Science FoundationFP-006
ZonMw100-001-004
Ministerie van Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport
Erasmus Medisch Centrum
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek575-25-012, 904-57-094, 575-25-006, 024.001.003, 175.010.2003.005, GBMAGW 480-03-005
Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek- en Documentatiecentrum

    Keywords

    • Adolescence
    • Behavioral control
    • Selection bias
    • Social competence
    • Socioeconomic status

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