VALIDITY OF ADOLESCENTS REPORT OF MATERNAL AGE

Examined the validity of adolescents' reports of their mother's age. M ost research on the validity of self-report focuses an personal behavi ors such as alcohol and substance use, or response bias due to social desirability. Few studies investigate the validity of adolescents repo rting of nonsensitive information. Data from 80 mother-adolescent pair s were collected. The sample included 9th graders from four high schoo l English classes, equal numbers of males and females, and 15% African Americans The correlation between mothers' reports and youths' report s of mother's age was .99, and 95% of the youth were within a year of their mother's correct age. No race or gender differences were found. These results allow researchers to examine adolescent outcomes for you th born to teen mothers without the expense of also collecting data fr om their mothers. Results also suggest that adolescents' self-reports of other nonsensitive familial data may also be valid.