More Data, More Problems: Analytical Complications Of Studying Differential Family Experiences Over Time: Reply To Laird (2020)

The use of differences scores to assess agreement/disagreement has a long and contentious history. Laird (2020) notes, however, that developmentalists have been particularly resistant to discontinue the use of difference scores. One area of developmental science where difference scores are still in regular use is that of parental differential treatment (PDT) or sibling differential experiences. In this response we argue that, in the case of our particular article (Campione-Barr, Lindell, & Giron, 2020), while the use of difference scores may not have been ideal, they were utilized for several reasons, including the history of the field in operationally defining within-family differential experiences through the use of discrepancy scores, as well as the complicated analytical nature of research examining more than one dyad within the same family. A discussion of whether or not analytical strategies need to change in this literature is important for the field to move forward.