Response Errors of Black and Nonblack Males in Models of the Intergenerational Transmission of Socioeconomic Status

Wisconsin-Madison. We benefitted from the helpful comments of Arthur S. Goldberger and Gary Chamberlain. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors. Biases due to measurement errors in structural equation models of the intergenerationa1 transmission of socioeconomic status were assessed by estimating unobserved variable models with data from the remeasurement program of the 1973 Occupational Changes in a Generation-II survey. We found persuasive evidence that reports of social background and achievement variables by nonb1ack males are subject to strictly random errors, while reports of black males appear subject to significant nonrandom error. When meRsurement errors are.ignored for nonb1acks, occupational returns to schooling are underestimated by about 15 percent, the effects of some background variables are underestimated by as much as 22 percent, and variation in socioeconomic achievements not attributabl