Publications Based on SOEP Data: SOEPlit

A Note on Empirical Studies of Life-Satisfaction: Unhappy with Semiparametrics?

This article deals with the modeling of life-satisfaction, and estimating the impact of age on it. We investigate how findings and the interpretation of empirical studies hinge on the respectively assumed model. Assuming a specific model comprises various hypothesis made on the data generating process, like indicator selection, measurement, or functional form specifications. In this study we focus ...

Personality Factors and Sick Leave Days. Evidence from a Nationally Representative Longitudinal Study in Germany

Background: The question of whether employees’ sickness absence from the workplace depends on personality has been researched. Existing evidence mostly stems from cross-sectional studies, mainly showing that personality factors were not associated with the number of sick leave days, except for neuroticism, which was positively associated with sick leave days. Based on the above, it remains an under ...

Practice makes perfect: Practice engagement theory and the development of adult literacy and numeracy proficiency

Practice engagement theory (PET) posits that individuals’ literacy proficiencies develop as a by-product of their engagement in everyday reading and writing practices and, reciprocally, that literacy proficiencies affect levels of engagement in reading and writing practices. This suggests that literacy training which increases engagement in meaningful practices might generate proficiency growth. Research ...

The Effects of Non-standard Employment on the Transition to Parenthood Within Couples: A Comparison of Germany and Australia

Using longitudinal data from Germany and Australia for the 2001‒2013 period, this study investigates the link between non-standard employment, such as fixed-term contracts, temporary agency work, part-time and casual work, and first birth within couple relationships. In contrast to previous studies, competing risks event history models are estimated to simultaneously consider couples’ risks of first ...

Depression, Neuroticism and 2D:4D Ratio: Evidence from a Large, Representative Sample

A body of literature reports higher rates of depression and neuroticism in female samples compared to male samples. Numerous studies have investigated the role of prenatal sex hormone exposure in this sex difference, using the ratio between the second and fourth digit of the hand (“2D:4D”) as a putative marker. However, the sample sizes of those studies were mostly small and results remained inconclusive. ...

Refugees' religious affiliation, religious practice and social integration

Educational Reproduction in Germany: A Prospective Study Based on Retrospective Data

This study examines educational reproduction of East and West German men and women born between 1930 and 1950. In a prospective design, we study the importance of mobility and fertility pathways of reproduction, considering not only the social reproduction of education as an attribute but also the demographic reproduction of individuals who carry this attribute. Using data from NEPS and SOEP, we introduce ...

Trends in self-rated health among the elderly population in Germany from 1995 to 2015 – the influence of temporal change in leisure time physical activity

Background: Against the backdrop of rising statutory retirement age in Germany, we analyzed time trends in self-rated health (SRH) among the elderly population between 50 and 70 years of age and explored the mediating role of leisure time physical activity (LTPA) on the relationship between time period and self-rated health (SRH). Methods: We used longitudinal survey data (n = 23,161) from a national ...

Opportunities and Constraints of the Partner Market and Educational Assortative Mating

This study aims to determine to what extent the opportunities and restrictions of the partner market influence educational assortative mating. It also analyzes the interplay between the opportunity structure and preferences. Matching district-based partner market indicators to heterosexual couples when they move in together based on the German Socio-Economic Panel, we find strong effects of the opportunity ...

Taking social policy personally: How does neuroticism affect welfare state attitudes?

Abstract The role of the “Big Five” personality traits in driving welfare state attitudes has received scant attention in social policy research. Yet neuroticism in particular—a disposition to stress, worry, and get nervous easily—is theoretically likely to be an important driver of welfare attitudes precisely because welfare states deliver social “security” and “safety” nets. Using cross-sectional ...