PROBABILITY-MODELS FOR DURATION - THE DATA DONT TELL THE WHOLE STORY

Probability models for duration have been applied to a wide range of i ndividual-level and organizational phenomena. Interestingly, seemingly similar models may produce different results. Using divorce as an ill ustration, we discuss a hierarchy of duration models of different comp lexity and show how an analysis of the results across models helps exp lain why different studies may have come to different conclusions. Thi s analysis also leads to substantive insights that even the most compl ete model by itself does not provide. (C) 1995 Academic Press,Inc.