A Review of Analytical Methods Used to Study Generational Differences: Strengths and Limitations

This article reviews the most common analytical methods that have been used in studying generational differences in social science research. We discuss the strengths and limitations of the three analytical methods and associated designs that have most often been used to assess such differences: group comparisons using cross-sectional data, cross-temporal meta-analysis using time-lagged panels, and cross-classified hierarchical linear modeling using time-lagged panels. The purpose of the present effort was to demonstrate how the analytical methods differ in the extent to which they identify generational differences. Using two extant large data sets, one containing 359,722 military personnel collected over 19 years and one with 55,087 individuals from the general U.S. population collected over 38 years, we found that each analytic method produced slightly different results yet none was able to fully capture differences attributable to generational membership. Recommendations and implications for researchers interested in studying or interpreting generational research are discussed.