Duane Alwin

Research and Teaching Interests

Lifecourse & Aging, Human Development, Family, Social Stratification, Education, Social Psychology, Social Change, Research Methods, Quantitative Analysis.  He is currently completing two books, one on the quality of sample survey data entitled The Reliability of Survey Data, and one on the impact of changes in the family over the past century on child-rearing orientations entitled The Disciplined Self: The Transformation of Parental Child-Rearing Values Over the Twentieth Century.

Professional Awards and Achievements

• Council member, Lifecourse and Aging Section, American Sociological Association (2002-2005)
• McCourtney Professorship, College of Liberal Arts, Pennsylvania State University (2002)
• List of Highly Cited Authors, Institute for Scientific Information (2002)
• Excellence in Research Award, College of Literature, Science & the Arts, University of Michigan (1998)
• Visiting Scholar, Department of Social and Political Sciences, Cambridge University and Social Statistics Research Unit, City University of London]; Fulbright Lectureship, Ostrava University, Czech Republic, supported by the Eccles Center of the British Library and the UK Fulbright Commission (1996)
• Fulbright Research Award, United Kingdom (1995-96)
• Co-recipient, Conference Grant, Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Study and Conference Center, Lake Como, Italy (1992)
• Chair, Social Psychology Section, American Sociological Association (1992-93)
• Co-recipient MOST (Minority Opportunity Summer Training) Program, University of Michigan, American Sociological Association (1991)
• Member, Board of Advisors, Polish General Social Survey, University of Warsaw (1991-98)
• Member, Board of Directors, Institute for Social Studies, University of Warsaw, Poland (1990-98)
• Vice-president for the Americas, Research Committee on Logic and Methodology, International Sociological Association (1990-94)
• Guest Professor, Zentrum für Umfragen, Methoden und Analysen (ZUMA), Mannheim, Federal Republic of Germany (1987-1993)
• Associate Editor, Social Psychology Quarterly (1987-88)
• Council member (1986-89)
• Chair, GSS Board of Overseers (1985-89)
• Director, Summer Institute in Survey Research Techniques, Survey Research Center, University of Michigan (1983-1995)
• Member, GSS Board of Overseers (1983-89, 1990-93)
• Member, Methodology Advisory Board, General Social Survey (GSS), National Opinion Research Center (1977-83)
• Visiting Scientist, Laboratory of Socio-environmental Studies, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland (1975-76).

Research Grants

• Aging and the Reliability of Measurement, National Institute on Aging (2003-06)
• Latent Growth Curves of Cognitive Aging, National Institute on Aging (2002-05)
• Socio-economic Status, Social Psychological Resources and Health, National Institute on Aging (2001-2003)
• Socio-economic Factors, Aging and Cognitive Functioning, National Institute on Aging (1998-2000)
• The Reliability of Survey Data, National Science Foundation (1997-1999)
• The Stability of Individual Differences Across the Adult Life Span, National Institute on Aging (1998-2001)
• Aging, Personality and Social Change, National Institute on Aging (1992-1995)
• Aging and Errors and Measurement, National Institute on Aging (1992-1995)
• Perceptions of Justice in East and West (David Mason and James Kluegel, co-investigators), National Science Foundation (1991-93)
• The Changing Role of Religion in American Society, National Science Foundation (1987-1990)
• Attitude Change and Stability over the Life-Span, National Institute on Aging (1987-1990)
• Psychosocial Factors in Adaptation to Parenting, National Institute of Mental Health (1986-1989)
• Political Orientations over the Life Span (co-investigators Ronald Cohen and Theodore Newcomb) (1984-1986)
• Parental Approaches to Child-Rearing, National Institute of Mental Health (1983-85)
• Social Support and Psychological Well-Being (co-investigators Angus Campbell and Philip Converse), National Institute on Aging (1981-1983)

Selected Publications

• R.F. Belli, F.P. Stafford & D.F. Alwin, editors, Calendar and Time Diary Methods in Life Course Research. SAGE Publications, 2009.
• S.M. Hofer & D.F. Alwin, editors, Handbook of Cognitive Aging-- Interdisciplinary Perspectives. SAGE Publications, 2008.
• D.F. Alwin, Margins of Error: A Study of Reliability in Survey Measurement. Published by John Wiley & Sons. 2007.
• D.F. Alwin & R.J. McCammon.  2001.  Aging, Cohorts and Verbal Ability.  Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences 56B:1-11.
• D.F. Alwin.  1998.  The Political Impact of the Baby Boom: Are There Persistent Generational Differences in Political Beliefs and Behavior? Generations 22:46-54.
• D.F. Alwin.  1997.  Feeling Thermometers vs. Seven-Point Scales: Which are Better? Sociological Methods & Research 25:318-40.
• D.F. Alwin.  1996.  From Child-Bearing to Child-Rearing: The Link Between Declines in Fertility and Changes in the Socialization of Children. Population and Development Review 22:S176-196.
• Reprinted in  J.B.Casterline, R.D. Lee & K.A. Foote (Eds.) Fertility in the United States: New Patterns, New Theories. New York: Population Council, 1996.
• J. Scott, D.F. Alwin & M. Braun.  1996.  Generational Changes in Gender-Role Attitudes: Britain in Cross National Perspective.  Sociology30:471-92.
• D.F. Alwin, M. Braun & J. Scott.  1992.  The Separation of Work and the Family:  Attitudes Toward Women's Labor-Force Participation in Germany, Great Britain and the United States.  European Sociological Review 8:13-37.
• D.F. Alwin. 1992. Information Transmission in the Survey Interview:  Number of Response Categories and the Reliability of Attitude Measurement.  Pp. 83-118 in P.V. Marsden (Ed.), Sociological Methodology 1992. Vol. 22. Washington DC: American Sociological Association.
• D.F. Alwin, R.L. Cohen & T.M. Newcomb.  1991.  Political Attitudes Over the Life-Span:  The Bennington Women After Fifty Years.  Madison, WI:  The University of Wisconsin Press.
• D.F. Alwin.  1991.  Family of Origin and Cohort Differences in Verbal Ability. American Sociological Review 56: 625-38.
• D.F. Alwin.  1988.  From Obedience to Autonomy:  Changes in Traits Desired in Children, 1924-78. Public Opinion Quarterly 52: 33-52.
• D.F. Alwin.  1987.  Distributive Justice and Satisfaction with Material Well-Being. American Sociological Review 52: 83-95.
• D.F. Alwin & R. M. Hauser. 1975. The Decomposition of Effects in Path Analysis.  American Sociological Review 40: 37-47.  Reprinted in P.V. Marsden (Ed.), Pp. 123-140, Linear Models in Social Research. Beverly Hills:  SAGE Publications (1981).  Selected as a Citation Classic by the Institute for Scientific Information, Current Contents, 1985, 17:20.