Intergenerational studies

de Dorothy H. Eichorn, Berkeley. Institute of Human Development University of California, Radcliffe College. Henry A. Murray Research Center

The purpose of this project was to study the course of adolescent personality development and change, and their relationship to adjustment in later life. Of primary interest were to document age trends and individual consistency, and illuminate factors associated with group and individual stability or change. The data are derived from three ongoing longitudinal studies conducted at the Institute of Human Development (IHD). The Berkeley Growth Study was begun in 1928; participants were healthy infants born between September, 1928 and May, 1929. The Berkeley Guidance Study was begun in 1929; participants were families with a 21-month old child. The Oakland Growth Study was begun in 1932 on a sample of fifth and sixth graders and their families. All three studies were designed to study normal development. The Intergenerational Studies (IGS) was a panel study of the adult participants of the three studies. It included three adult waves of the Oakland Growth Study (N=22) and the Berkeley Guidance Study (N=22), and two adult waves of the Berkeley Growth Study (N=61). The IGS also collected data from participants' spouses and children. Data collection occurred during 1958-1959, 1965, 1969-1971, and 1982. The sample consisted of predominantly White Americans of varied socioeconomic status. An interview was conducted during each adult follow-up of the three on-going studies. It included questions about family of origin and procreation, spouse and marital relations, work and money, current and retrospective perceptions of self, friendships, social involvement, and health. Several other measures were administered as part of the three adult waves including the WAIS and WAIS-R, the Adult Core Q-sort, the psychological health index, and the California Psychological Inventory. In addition, there are Q-sort data available for some of the subjects, derived from information obtained when they were children and adolescents. Computer-accessible data and some microfiche data are available at the Murray Center at this time. In addition, there is a subset of IHD data archived at the Murray Center as Block's Lives Through Time(A625).Follow-up is not possible.