Publications Based on SOEP Data: SOEPlit

Life events and personality trait change: A coordinated data analysis

Life events have been theorized to elicit personality trait changes. However, the empirical evidence for event-related personality development remains inconclusive. Even comprehensive reviews and meta-analyses are limited by the availability of effect sizes, the control for relevant confounders, and the way time is treated in the analyses. To overcome these limitations, we conducted a coordinated data ...

Loneliness among refugees in Germany - On the significance of flight, host country conditions and personality traits

Aim Previous studies on loneliness among refugees have focused in particular on refugee and host country conditions. The present study expands the state of research by taking into account selected personality traits and additional indicators relating to refugee and host country conditions. The aim is to analyse loneliness among refugees from a more holistic perspective.Methods The study is based on ...

Less meat on the table: findings from the German Socio-Economic Panel 2016–2022

Based on the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP), this article investigates the recent development of meat consumption in Germany and selected socio-demographic determinants of meat-related dietary habits. In line with official data, the SOEP shows a downward trend in the frequency of meat consumption and an upward trend in self-reported vegetarianism for 2016?2022. Women, the better educated, singles, ...

The Distribution of National Income in Germany, 1992-2019

This paper analyzes the distribution and composition of pre-tax national income in Germany since 1992, combining personal income tax returns, household survey data, and national accounts. Inequality rose from the 1990s to the late 2000s due to falling labor incomes among the bottom 50% and rising incomes in the top 10%. This trend reversed after 2007 as labor incomes across the bottom 90% increased. ...

The mediating role of school absenteeism in the socioeconomic achievement gap

Socioeconomic disparities in children's academic achievement are well established, but the underlying mechanisms are less well understood. We used linked data from the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) and the National Pupil Database (NPD) with causal mediation analysis to determine the extent to which school absences contribute to socioeconomic achievement gaps. Using different achievement measures ...

The Portuguese Household Budget Survey: A Review and Recommendations for Data Collection

This work aims to provide an insight into the Household Budget Survey in Portugal, and within the European Statistical System, and in other countries, and provide actionable recommendations for the upcoming methodological revision of the Household Budget Survey in Portugal. The HBS is revised at 5 year intervals, and is currently done in the form of a traditional proxy survey with an SRS reflecting ...

The Role of Health in Shaping the Relationship Between Income and Subjective Well-Being: A Study on German Panel Data (Bachelor Thesis)

Many may believe a higher income will make them happier. While this is true to some extent, studies show that subjective well-being (SWB) tends to increase at a decreasing rate. Included in many studies is not only the income of the individuals, but also the income of people in their surroundings, or the so-called relative income. Whereas most studies show that our SWB decreases as the income of others ...

Unbezahlte Arbeit und ihre gesellschaftliche und ökonomische Einordnung. Eine jährliche Berechnung für Deutschland von 2012 bis 2021

Wealth and Family Formation: Insights from First Cohabitation, Marriage, and Birth in Germany

Existing research has demonstrated that wealthier individuals differ in family formation. Potential explanations draw on wealth’s use and symbolic value as well as the relative economic bar of family formation. This study examines the relationship between wealth and three family formation events in Germany: first cohabitation, marriage, and birth. Data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (2002–2017) ...

When You’re Down and Out: Who Benefits from Volunteering in Old Age?

Theoretical considerations suggest that volunteering contributes to retirement adjustment because it compensates for role losses following retirement. However, the idea that mental health benefits of volunteering are stronger after retirement than prior to retirement has been hardly tested empirically. Moreover, it remains open to question who benefits from volunteering in retirement in particular. ...