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Are Comparisons the Answer to Understanding Behavioral Aspects of Aging in Racial and Ethnic Groups?

¹ Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
² Department of Psychology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh.
³ Department of Health Policy Administration, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park.
⁴ Department of Psychiatry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.

Address correspondence to Keith E. Whitfield, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, 9 Flowers Drive, P.O. Box 90085, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708. E-mail: kwhit1{at}duke.edu

The knowledge gained from studying diverse populations should help to address inequities and prepare us to deal with the needs of the increasing number of older minorities in this country. At the same time, research that is not properly conducted threatens to lead us astray and misconstrue relationships and outcomes related to behavioral aspects of aging. In this article, we propose that simple comparisons between groups are neither necessary nor sufficient to advance our understanding of ethnic minorities. We discuss common pitfalls conducted in group-differences research, including a specific treatment on the issue of statistical power issues. Our goal is to encourage the use of multiple methodological designs in the study of issues related to racial and ethnic minorities by demonstrating some of the advantages of lesser employed approaches.

Key Words: Ethnicity • Minorities • Racial comparisons • Models of group differences • Statistical power