Covering the basics of the cohort approach to studying aging, social, and cultural change, this volume also critiques several commonly used (but flawed) methods of cohort analysis, and illustrates appropriate methods with analyses of personal happiness and attitudes toward premarital and extramarital sexual relations. Finally, the book describes the major sources of suitable data for cohort studies and gives the criteria for appropriate data.

The Second Edition features:

- a chapter on the analysis of survey data, which includes a discussion of the problems posed by question order effects when data from different surveys are used in a cohort analysis.

- an emphasis on the difference between linear and nonlinear effects.

- instruction on how to use available data from cohort studies.