Groundhog Day versus Alice in Wonderland,Red Herrings versus Swedish Fishes,and Hopefully Something Constructive: A Reply to Comments

Abstract

In this reply to the comments on our original article, we identify common themes and respond to some specific issues that appear to be at the core of the debate over the evidence for “Generation Me.” In particular, we point out that generational studies have both applied and theoretical consequences and echo the sentiment that developmental considerations are likely to be more important than generational considerations when thinking about the attributes of today's young people. We also acknowledge that disagreements are inevitable, as this is a controversial issue of study. However, we reiterate our commitment to the interpretation of effect sizes rather than null hypothesis significance testing and emphasize the need for care when psychological scientists offer broad and often moralistic pronouncements about entire generations of young people.