Publications Based on SOEP Data: SOEPlit

Perceived control in low-control circumstances: Control beliefs predict a greater decrease in life satisfaction following job loss

Whereas perceived control is generally conducive to effective self-regulation and well-being, it may predict more negative reactions to life events that are associated with a disconfirmation of control. Using data from a nationally representative panel study (the GSOEP) we tested whether perceived control is associated with more negative reactions to job loss (i.e., a partially uncontrollable negative ...

The Darmstadt Micro-Macro-Simulator - Consistency Check and Data Modelling of GSOEP

The Collapse of the Berlin Wall: Simulating State-Level East to West German Migration Patterns

Smoking Behaviour and Tobacco Control Measures in Germany: Evidence from the SOEP

A striking trend in health-related consumption behaviour across all OECD countries has been a steady decline in smoking prevalence and cigarette consumption over the last few decades. In Germany, this gradual decline in tobacco use started only at the beginning of the 21st century. Various tobacco control measures have been implemented simultaneously in Germany, ranging from advertising and smoking ...

Smoking Behaviour in Germany: Evidence from the SOEP

As in most OECD countries, smoking prevalence and cigarette consumption have been decreasing in Germany since the early 2000s. This paper analyses whether smoking prevalence and cigarette consumption, as well as their development over time, differ between socio-economic subgroups. Identifying these differences provides insights into the effect of policy interventions on German smoking behaviour. Based ...

Measuring Fuel Poverty: General Considerations and Application to German Household Data

Indicators of energy affordability and fuel poverty are a powerful tool to identify the most vulnerable households and to avoid imposing excessive burdens by climate policy. Fuel-poverty measurement consists of two independent parts: first, the definition of an appropriate fuel-poverty line, and secondly, techniques to measure fuel poverty. This paper reviews options for the definition of fuel-poverty ...

Do Temporary Workers Receive Risk Premiums? Assessing the Wage Effects of Fixed–term Contracts in West Germany by a Matching Estimator Compared with Parametric Approaches

The wage effects of fixed–term contracts (FTCs) are analysed with the German Socio–Economic Panel (GSOEP) for West Germany. Taking selection on observables into account results in an estimated wage effect of −6 percent up to −10 percent. Controlling additionally for selection on unobservables leads to wage effects of −23 percent, which may be explained by self–selection of workers. The results also ...

Do Fixed-Term Contracts Increase the Long-Term Employment Opportunities of the Unemployed?

Confounding True and Random Changes in Categorical Panel Data: Regression to the mean and Regression to the mode

The main advantage of panel analysis is that changes can be investigated at the individual level. However, the observed individual changes result not only from underlying, true changes but also from random fluctuations. The problem is that these random fluctuations may lead to systematically looking patterns of change that seemingly beg for substantive, theoretical explanations. Notorious in this respect ...

Short measurements of personality – Validity and reliability of the GSOEP Big Five Inventory (BFI-S)

In the last decade, an upward trend in the use of short measurements for personality can be observed. The goal of this study was to explore the psychometric characteristics of the GSOEP Big Five Inventory (BFI-S; Gerlitz & Schupp, 2005), a 15-item instrument. We compared the BFI-S with the NEO-PI-R (Costa & McCrae, 1992a, 1992b) in a sample of 598 German adults (mean age = 42 years). Despite ...