Suggests that recent social changes and trends make it imperative to include demographics of all kinds in research on child development. Proposes guidelines to help child development researchers procure demographic information from their study population. Provides specific questions that may help researchers devise demographic indicators, and…

Comments on the ideas presented by Entwisle and Astone in this issue. Suggests that to produce sound measurements of children's socioeconomic background requires a substantial investment in coding, data collection, and management. Nevertheless, a standard set of racial-ethnic and socioeconomic variables, no matter how well measured, cannot serve…

Demonstrates how structural equation modeling can be used to translate a verbal theory into a mathematical model that can be estimated and tested, and from which inferences can be drawn. Data used was taken from a previous study of the effects of family socialization on the formation of achievement values and self-concept. (Author/RH)