CONTEXTUALIZATION OF SURVEY DATA: WHAT DO WE GAIN AND DOES IT MATTER?

Survey research designs that integrate contextual data have become more prevalent in recent decades, presumably to enable a more refined focus on the person as the unit of analysis and a greater emphasis on inter-individual differences due to social forces and contextual conditions. This article reviews varied approaches to contextualizing survey data and demonstrates the value of two integrative approaches for the study of human development and aging—the use of interviewer ratings and neighborhood information (measured via census tracts). The utility of an integrative approach is illustrated with data from the Health and Retirement Study, revealing what is gained by using a contextualized approach and how substantive conclusions may be misdirected when contextual factors are neglected. Neighborhood disorder, measured by respondent and interviewer ratings, as well as geocoded neighborhood socioeconomic data were used to predict disability and depressive symptoms among older adults. Results indicate that racial and ethnic differences in functional limitations and depressive symptoms may be overestimated when failing to include contextual neighborhood characteristics. To enhance the predictive validity of survey data, investigators should consider meaningful contextual data for specific research questions.