The UAS Paradata Cognitive Functioning File (P-Cog) is created by the University of Southern California’s Center for Economic and Social Research (CESR) using data collected in the Understanding America Study (UAS).
P-Cog provides repeated estimates of cognitive functioning that are derived from respondents’ survey response behaviors (e.g., response times and consistency of response patterns). These estimates are available across most UAS surveys and can be used both to examine cognitive functioning longitudinally and in analyses of individual UAS surveys.
The file includes paradata-derived estimates of:
- Processing speed
- Executive control
- General cognitive state, represented by a higher-order factor based on processing speed and executive control
Each estimate is accompanied by a standard error that reflects its precision for the relevant respondent-by-survey occasion. Estimates are provided for all survey occasions with available qualifying paradata.
P-Cog is structured in long format, with each row representing a respondent-by-survey observation. The file includes respondent and household identifiers, survey number, survey completion date, and demographic variables associated with each survey occasion. Users should consult the accompanying documentation when linking records longitudinally or to other UAS files.
The P-Cog file can be linked with other UAS content using the UAS respondent identifier and survey number. It is updated quarterly and is available for download as a STATA or CSV file, subject to UAS registration requirements.
Downloads
The following files and documents are available for download (registration required, where indicated):
- UAS Paradata Cognitive Functioning File (P-Cog): STATA | CSV (registration required)
- UAS Paradata Cognitive Functioning File Data Description
- Previous versions of the data file are available on request