Survey Behavior and Cognition Across the Life Course: Evidence from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics

We
explore the extent to which cognition can be inferred from indicators of survey
response behavior (SRB), such as the time to complete a questionnaire and the
incidence of contradictory responses. We use nationally representative data
from a mixed-mode supplement to the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID)
collected in 2016. This Wellbeing and Daily Life supplement includes rich
cognitive data capturing both verbal and quantitative reasoning, and paradata
from the supplement (e.g., time to complete). We assess the ability of survey
response behavior to improve prediction of cognitive ability after accounting
for standard sociodemographic variables typically available in surveys. We
explore this from age 30 and across the life course.