Motor and Social Development (MSD)

Assessments
Motor and Social Development (MSD)
Created variables
MOTOyyyy. MOTOR & SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: RAW SCORE
MOTOPyyyy. MOTOR & SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: PERCENTILE SCORE-ALL CHILDREN
MOTOZyyyy. MOTOR & SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: STANDARD SCORE-ALL CHILDREN
MOTOPXyyyy. MOTOR & SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: PERCENTILE SCORE - SAME SEX
MOTOZXyyyy. MOTOR & SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: STANDARD SCORE - SAME SEX
(Note that the MSD assessment was not administered in the 2004 NLSY79 Child survey.)
The Motor and Social Development scale (MSD) was developed by the National Center for Health Statistics to measure dimensions of the motor, social, and cognitive development of young children from birth through three years. The items were derived from standard measures of child development (Bayley Scales of Infant Development, the Gesell Scale, Denver Developmental Screening Test), which have high reliability and validity (Poe 1986). The scale was developed for use in the 1981 National Health Interview Survey (a large national health survey that included 2,714 children up to age four) and in the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 1988-1994). Analyses by Child Trends, a non-profit, non-partisan research organization, of the scale in the 1981 Child Health Supplement to the National Health Interview Survey established the age ranges at which each item's developmental milestone is generally reached by U.S. children (Peterson and Moore 1987). The MSD scale has been used in the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (Statistics Canada) and by other smaller scale studies of child development such as the Boston Infant Follow-up Program.
Based on the child's age, NLSY79 mothers answer fifteen age-appropriate items out of 48 motor and social development items. These items have been used with a full spectrum of minority children with no apparent difficulty. Prior to 2002, a Spanish version of the scale was available to NLSY79 mothers whose principal language was Spanish.
Description of the MSD
The NLSY79 Motor and Social Development assessment has eight components (parts A through H) that a mother completes contingent on the child's age. Part A is appropriate for infants during the first four months of life (i.e., zero through three months) and the most advanced section, Part H, is addressed to children between the ages of 22 and 47 months. Each section contains 15 yes/no questions about whether the child has ever performed each age-appropriate behavior. For example, the mother of an infant less than 3 months of age is asked questions such as whether her child's eyes have ever followed a moving object from one side to the other, or smiled at someone when that person talked to or smiled at the child. A mother of a child aged 22-47 months is asked questions such as whether their child has ever walked up stairs (one foot on each step), or said his or her first and last name with no help.
Scoring the MSD
All of the MSD items are dichotomous (no=0, yes=1)). The total raw score for children of a particular age is obtained by summing all the "eyes" responses in the age-appropriate section. No proration has been undertaken on this assessment since the proportion of missing items is modest and there was some question about the appropriateness of the procedure, given that later items in the assessment tend to be more difficult than earlier items, and hence non-response is not random across items.
Age eligibility for the MSD
In the 1986-2000 surveys, MSD scores were generated for children ages 0-3 years. In 2002 very young children were not administered assessments, which means that MSD scores were not generated for children under age 2 years in 2002. The MSD was not administered in 2004 due to budget constraints. From 2006 to the present, mothers have completed the MSD for children ages 0-3.
Norms for the MSD
Associated with each raw score is a series of norms: (1) an overall age-based percentile and standard score and (2) same-gender by age percentile and standard scores. That is, boys were scored using the male national norms and girls were assigned female national norms, and both genders received combined gender norm scores. Normed scores are provided in Appendix C.
Normed scores were constructed by CHRR using data from the nationally representative sample in the 1981 Child Health Supplement to the National Health Interview Survey (National Center for Health Statistics 1984). Analyses by Child Trends (a non-profit, non-partisan research organization) of the scale in the 1981 Child Health Supplement to the National Health Interview Survey established the age ranges at which each item's developmental milestone is generally reached by U.S. children (Peterson and Moore 1987).
Completion Rates for the MSD
The overall completion rate for the MSD assessment showed a decline through 1998 and then increased to higher levels once the Mother Supplement became a CAPI instrument in 2000. The overall completion rate for the current survey round can be found in Table 6 in the Child Assessments--Introduction section. A substantial proportion of the non-completions in pre-CAPI years resulted from situations where the mother skipped the section in the paper booklet or inadvertently left a number of the items blank.
Validity and Reliability of the MSD
Readers interested in information about the validity and reliability of the NLSY79 Child data for this assessment may want to examine the discussions of the MSD in the NLSY79 Child Handbook: 1986-1990 and The NLSY Children, 1992: Description and Evaluation, both available on the Research/Technical Reports page. Analyses based on the NHANES III data indicate that low birth weight status and pre-term delivery are associated independently with small, but measurable, delays in MSD (Hediger et al., 2002).
Age, Gender, and Racial Differences on the MSD
Caution should be exercised when interpreting results for three-year-olds, the oldest group completing this assessment. The Motor and Social Development assessment tends to "top out" for three-year-olds and does not provide a sensitive ceiling for these older children. For this reason, researchers using the assessment should include an age control in any multivariate analyses even when they are using normed scores. In general, the distribution of scores for NLSY79 children on this assessment tends to be more peaked for the youngest and oldest children (e.g., see Table 3.3 in the 2002 version of The NLSY79 Child Assessments: Selected Tables, available on the Research/Technical Reports page).
While not described in these tables, it is also useful to note reported gender differences at the youngest ages. Infant girls score significantly higher than their male counterparts, consistent with other evidence regarding early gender differences in motor and social development. Researchers interested in analyzing boys or girls separately are reminded that discrete gender-specific norms are available.
These items have been used with a full spectrum of minority children with no apparent difficulty.
MSD Scores in the Database
There are 5 summary scores for the MSD. In addition to the raw score, there are overall and gender-specific standard scores and percentile scores.
Question names for the raw scores, overall scores, and same-gender normed scores for Motor & Social Development, from the current survey round, are listed in Table 1 in the Child Assessments--Introduction section.
Areas of Interest | ASSESSMENT [scores] ASSESSMENT ITEMS MOTHER SUPPLEMENT |
Cohorts
- NLSY97
- Topical Guide to the Data
- Asterisk Tables
- I. Employment, Unemployment, and Job Search (age restrictions as of interview date)
- II. Schooling (age restrictions as of 12/31/96)
- III. Training (age restrictions as of interview date)
- IV. Income, Assets, and Program Participation
- V. Family Formation (age restrictions as of end of previous calendar year--12/31/96 in rd 1, 12/31/97 in rd 2, and so on)
- VI. Family Background (age restrictions as of 12/31/1996)
- VII. Expectations
- VIII. Attitudes, Behaviors, and Time Use
- IX. Health (age restrictions as of 12/31/96)
- X. Political Participation
- XI. Environmental Variables (in main data set)
- Education
- Employment
- Household, Geography & Contextual Variables
- Family Background
- Marital History, Childcare & Fertility
- Income
- Health
- Attitudes
- Crime & Substance Use
- Asterisk Tables
- Intro to the Sample
- Using & Understanding the Data
- Other Documentation
- Codebook Supplement
- Introduction to the NLSY97 Created Variable Appendices
- Appendix 1: Education Variable Creation
- Enrollment Status and Highest Grade/Degree - Appendix 1
- Date Received Diploma or Degree - Appendix 1
- Number of Grades Repeated or Skipped - Appendix 1
- Number of Schools Attended - Appendix 1
- Credits Earned toward Bachelor's/Associate's Degree - Appendix 1
- Date Left High School and Highest High School Grade - Appendix 1
- Private or Parochial School - Appendix 1
- SAT/ACT Scores - Appendix 1
- Training: Receipt of Certificate or Vocational License - Appendix 1
- Appendix 2: Employment Variable Creation
- Appendix 3: Family Background and Formation
- Household Size as of Survey Date - Appendix 3
- Marital Status and Marital/Cohabitation History - Appendix 3
- Fertility and Child Status - Appendix 3
- Number of Residences since Age 12 - Appendix 3
- Current Citizenship Status - Appendix 3
- Mother's Age at First Birth/Respondent's Birth
- Relationship to Household Parent Figures (Round 1 Parent Interview) - Appendix 3
- Relationship to Household Parent Figures (Rounds 7-9 Childhood Retrospective) - Appendix 3
- Relationship to Household Parent Figures (Interview Date) - Appendix 3
- Appendix 4: Geographic Variable Creation
- Appendix 5: Income and Assets Variable Creation
- Appendix 6: Event History Creation and Documentation
- Appendix 7: Continuous Month Scheme and Crosswalk
- Appendix 8: Instrument Rosters
- Appendix 9: Family Process and Adolescent Outcome Measures
- Appendix 10: CAT-ASVAB Scores
- Appendix 11: Collection of the Transcript Data (High School)
- Appendix 12: Post-Secondary Transcript Study
- Appendix 13: Cross-Cohort NLSY79/97 Overview
- Attachment 1: Census Industrial & Occupational Classification Codes
- Geocode Codebook Supplement
- Introduction to NLSY97 Geocode Data
- Attachment 100: Census Bureau State and County Codes
- Attachment 101: Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)/Core-Based Statistical Area (CBSA) Codes
- Attachment 102: IPEDS Data and College Identification Codes
- Attachment 103: Migration Distance Variables for Respondent Locations
- Attachment 104: Codebook Pages for Geocode and Zipcode Variables
- Questionnaires
- Errata
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 17 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 16 Release
- Addendum: Additional NLSY97 Speech & Post-Secondary Variables Available
- Addendum: NLSY97 Post-Secondary Data and Transcript Data Files Now Available
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 15 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 14 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 13 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 12 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 11 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 10 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 9 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 8 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 7 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 6 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 5 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 4 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 3 Release
- Tutorials
- Technical Sampling Report
- Codebook Supplement
- Get Data
- Topical Guide to the Data
- NLSY79
- Topical Guide to the Data
- Asterisk Tables
- Education
- Employment
- Employment: An Introduction
- Work Experience
- Jobs & Employers
- Class of Worker
- Discrimination
- Fringe Benefits
- Industries
- Job Characteristics Index
- Job Satisfaction
- Job Search
- Labor Force Status
- Military
- Occupations
- Time & Tenure with Employers
- Wages
- Work History Data
- Employer History Roster
- Business Ownership
- Retirement
- Household, Geography & Contextual Variables
- Family Background
- Marital History, Childcare & Fertility
- Income
- Health
- Attitudes
- Crime & Substance Use
- Intro to the Sample
- Using & Understanding the Data
- Other Documentation
- Codebook Supplement
- NLSY79 Attachment 3: Industrial and Occupational Classification Codes
- NLSY79 Attachment 4: Fields of Study in College
- NLSY79 Attachment 5: Index of Labor Unions and Employee Associations
- NLSY79 Attachment 6: Other Kinds of Training Codes
- NLSY79 Attachment 7: Other Certificate Codes
- NLSY79 Attachment 8: Health Codes
- NLSY79 Attachment 100: Geographic Regions
- NLSY79 Attachment 101: Country Codes
- NLSY79 Attachment 102: Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS)
- NLSY79 Attachment 103: Religion Codes
- NLSY79 Attachment 106: Profiles of American Youth (ASVAB Data/AFQT Scores)
- NLSY79 Appendix 1: Employment Status Recode Variables (1979-1998 and 2006)
- NLSY79 Appendix 2: Total Net Family Income Variable Creation (1979-2014)
- NLSY79 Appendix 3: Job Satisfaction Measures
- NLSY79 Appendix 4: Job Characteristics Index 1979-1982
- NLSY79 Appendix 5: Supplemental Fertility and Relationship Variables
- NLSY79 Appendix 6: Urban-Rural and SMSA-Central City Variables
- NLSY79 Appendix 7: Unemployment Rate
- NLSY79 Appendix 8: Highest Grade Completed & Enrollment Status Variable Creation
- NLSY79 Appendix 9: Linking Employers Through Survey Years
- NLSY79 Appendix 11: Round 12 (1990) Survey Administration Methods
- NLSY79 Appendix 12: Most Important Job Learning Activities (1993-94)
- NLSY79 Appendix 13: Intro to CAPI Questionnaires and Codebooks
- NLSY79 Appendix 14: Instrument Rosters
- NLSY79 Appendix 15: Recipiency Event Histories
- NLSY79 Appendix 16: 1994 Recall Experiment
- NLSY79 Appendix 17: Interviewer Characteristics Data
- NLSY79 Appendix 18: Work History Data
- NLSY79 Appendix 19: SF-12 Health Scale Scoring
- NLSY79 Appendix 20: Round 20 (2002) Early Bird and Income Recall Experiments
- NLSY79 Appendix 21: Attitudinal Scales
- NLSY79 Appendix 22: Migration Distance Variables for Respondent Locations
- NLSY79 Appendix 23: Revised Asset and Debt Variables and Computed TOTAL Net Wealth Variables
- NLSY79 Appendix 24: Reanalysis of the 1980 AFQT Data from the NLSY79
- NLSY79 Appendix 25: Attitudinal Scale Scoring
- NLSY79 Appendix 26: Non-Response to Financial Questions and Entry Points
- NLSY79 Appendix 27: IRT Item Parameter Estimates, Scores and Standard Errors
- NLSY79 Appendix 28: NLSY79 Employer History Roster
- NLSY79 Appendix 29: Date of Interview Current Status Variables
- NLSY79/97 Cross-Cohort Data
- Geocode Codebook Supplement
- Appendix 7: Unemployment Rates
- Appendix 10: Geocode Documentation
- Attachment 100: Geographic Regions
- Attachment 101: Country Codes
- Attachment 102: State FIPS Codes
- Attachment 104, Part A: 1981 Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas (SMSAs)
- Attachment 104, Part B: 1983 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs)
- Attachment 104, Part C: 1983 Consolidated MSAs and Associated Primary MSAs (CMSAs and PMSAs)
- Attachment 104, Part D: 1983 PMSAs and Associated CMSAs
- Attachment 104, Part E: 1988 MSAs, CMSAs, and Associated PMSAs
- Attachment 104, Part F: 2004 MSAs, CMSAs, and Associated PMSAs
- Attachment 104, Part G: 2006 Core-Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs)
- Attachment 105: Addendum to FICE Codes
- Attachment 106: Codebook Pages for Geocode and Zipcode Variables
- Questionnaires
- Tutorials
- Errata
- Errata for 1979-2016 Data Release
- Errata for 1979-2014 Data Release
- Errata for 1979-2012 Data Release
- Errata for 1979-2010 Data Release
- Errata for 1979-2008 Data Release
- Errata for 1979-2006 Data Release
- Errata for 1979-2004 Data Release
- Errata for 1979-2002 Data Release
- Errata for 1979-2000 Data Release
- Technical Sampling Report
- School & Transcript Surveys Documentation
- Codebook Supplement
- Get Data
- Topical Guide to the Data
- NLSY79 Child/YA
- Topical Guide to the Data
- Intro to the Sample
- Using & Understanding the Data
- Other Documentation
- Codebook Supplement
- Appendix A: HOME-SF Scales (NLSY79 Child)
- Appendix B: Composition of the Temperament Scales (NLSY79 Child)
- Appendix C: Motor & Social Development (NLSY79 Child)
- Appendix D: Behavior Problems Index (NLSY79 Child)
- Appendix D, Part 1: Composition of the BPI subscales
- Appendix D, Part 2a: BPI Anxious/Depressed Subscale
- Appendix D, Part 2b: BPI Antisocial Subscale
- Appendix D, Part 2c: BPI Dependent Subscale
- Appendix D, Part 2d: BPI Headstrong Subscale
- Appendix D, Part 2e: BPI Hyperactive Subscale
- Appendix D, Part 2f: BPI Peer Conflicts/Withdrawn Subscale
- Appendix D, Part 2g: BPI Full Scale
- Appendix D, Part 3a: BPI Internalizing Subscale
- Appendix D, Part 3b: BPI Externalizing Subscale
- Appendix D, Part 3c: BPI Total Scores
- Appendix E: Sample SPSSx Program for Merging NLSY79 Child/YA & Mother Files
- Appendix F: Sample SAS Program for Merging NLSY79 Child/YA & Mother Files
- Appendix G: NLSY79 Child Assessment Scores, Reference Numbers (2010-2014)
- Appendix H: Identification Codes in the Child and Young Adult Database
- Attachment 100: Codebook Pages for Young Adult Geocode Data
- Questionnaires
- Errata
- Errata for 2016 Child/Young Adult Release
- Errata for 2014 Child/Young Adult Release
- Data Addition: New Work and School Status Variables Created
- Errata for 2012 Child/Young Adult Release
- Errata for 2010 Child/Young Adult Release
- Errata for 2008 Child/Young Adult Release
- Errata for 2006 Child/Young Adult Release
- Errata for 2004 Child/Young Adult Release
- Errata for 2002 Child/Young Adult Release
- Errata for 2000 Child/Young Adult Release
- Research/Technical Reports
- Codebook Supplement
- Get Data
- NLS Mature and Young Women
- NLS Older and Young Men