Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/18516 
Year of Publication: 
2006
Series/Report no.: 
DIW Discussion Papers No. 623
Publisher: 
Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (DIW), Berlin
Abstract: 
Examined the concurrent and cross-lagged spousal similarity in life satisfaction over a 21-year period. Analyses were based on married couples (N = 847) in the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP). Concurrent spousal similarity was considerably higher than oneyear retest similarity, revealing spousal similarity in the variable component of life satisfaction. Spousal similarity systematically decreased with length of retest interval, revealing similarity in the changing component of life satisfaction. Finally, there was considerable spousal similarity in the stable component of life satisfaction over 20-years. The implications of these findings for causal theories of life satisfaction and studies in line with behavioural genetics are discussed.
Subjects: 
Subjective Well Being
Life Satisfaction
Marriage
Couples
Spousal Similarity
Heritability
Assortative Mating
Longitudinal Panel
SOEP
JEL: 
Z1
D01
B49
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size
241.15 kB





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.