Why were there three? Determinants of the presence of an intimate partner during face-to-face interviews

This study analyses determinants of the presence of an intimate partner during face-to-face interviews. Based on theoretical assumptions about opportunity structure, social control, social support, and companionship, we investigated partner presence using data from the first wave of the German Family Panel (pairfam). Descriptive results revealed that an intimate partner was present in every seventh interview. Multivariate results using separate logistic regression models for the presence of the female (n = 3,272) and the male partner (n = 2,348) revealed that the opportunity structure, such as the couple’s living arrangements or their employment status, had the greatest influence on the presence of both female and male partners. Gender differences existed for social control, social support and companionship. The results suggest that partner presence could most easily be prevented by taking into account the opportunity structure

Analysing Transitions in Intimate Relationships with Panel Data

Panel data on intimate relationships are becoming increasingly available, enabling a closer examination and deeper understanding of why and how they develop over time. The aim of this review is to illustrate to what extent demographic research has made progress in understanding the dynamics of intimate relationships by examining panel data. We focus on hypotheses about key transitions throughout the progression of intimate relationships, ranging from union formation up to cohabitation, marriage, divorce and repartnering. For every hypothesis, we will present findings from cross-sectional data and illustrate whether the use of panel data and longitudinal methods modified the previous understandings of transitions in intimate relationships. * This article belongs to a special issue on "Identification of causal mechanisms in demographic research: The contribution of panel data"

'Warum soll ich forschen?' - Wirkungen Forschenden Lernens bei Lehramtsstudierenden

Während Forschendes Lernen mit vielfätigen Zielen verbunden und in vielen Studiengängen etabliert ist, liegen kaum Studien vor, die kausale Aussagen über die Wirkungen dieser Lehr-Lern-Form ermöglichen. Dies gilt insbesondere für Forschendes Lernen im Lehramtsstudium. Hier setzt die vorliegende Studie an: Mittels eines quasi-experimentellen Paneldesigns werden Wirkungen Forschenden Lernens bei Lehramts- und Nicht-Lehramtsstudierenden an der Universität Oldenburg untersucht. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Lehramtsstudierende – im Gegensatz zu anderen Studierenden – im Hinblick auf die wahrgenommene Entwicklung von Forschungskompetenzen nicht vom Forschenden Lernen profitieren

Value of children in childless adults with and without depression

Value of children (VOC) as individually perceived costs and benefits of children may help explain fertility behavior. Depressive cognitive styles may influence these perceptions. Based on the data of waves two, four, six, eight, and ten of the German Family Panel pairfam, this study examined the differences between adults with and without depression concerning various aspects of their VOC using pooled ordinary least squares regression analyses. The sample consisted of N = 5,525 men and women aged 18-47 years either with depression (STDS ≥ 25) or without depression (STDS < 25) who did not have children yet. All aspects of perceived costs were significantly higher in subjects with depression. Concerning benefits, persons with depression showed significantly lower values in affection, stimulation, and comfort, and there was no significant difference concerning esteem as a possible benefit. As such, depression seems to negatively influence VOC in almost all aspects except for esteem benefits. Since social esteem as a benefit of VOC in parents predicts depression in offspring, this might be a cause for the intergenerational transmission of depression. To support individuals of childbearing age with depression in therapy, more research about the influence of depressive cognitions on VOC and fertility intentions is needed

Moving Back to the Parental Home in Times of COVID-19: Consequences for Students’ Life Satisfaction

Residential independence from parents is a key marker for young adults’ transition to adulthood. Losing this independence by returning to the parental home marks a regression of adult development with negative implications for returnees’ subjective wellbeing. This paper investigates how a return to the parental home during the COVID-19 pandemic affects the life satisfaction of university students. We used nationwide survey data from German university students (N = 913) to analyze differences in life satisfaction for those who did or did not return to their parental homes. Our results revealed two main findings. First, university students who moved back to their parental home reported significantly lower life satisfaction than those who remained living independently. Second, the association between moving back and life satisfaction varied by age. A return to the parental home was more detrimental to older students’ life satisfaction, while students aged 24 or younger did not experience a significant decrease when moving back to the parental home. We discuss the implications of our findings in the context of young adults’ subjective wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic

The German Family Panel (pairfam)

The German Family Panel pairfam is a multidisciplinary, longitudinal study on partnership and family dynamics in Germany, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). The annually collected survey data from a nationwide random sample of more than 12,000 persons of the three birth cohorts 1971-73, 1981-83, 1991-93 and their partners, parents and children offer unique opportunities for the analysis of partner and intergenerational relationships as they develop over the course of multiple life phases. A comprehensive description of the conceptual framework and the design of the German Family Panel is given in the concept paper by Huinink et al. (2011). The data from the three waves of the supplemental DemoDiff study as well as data from the step-up respondents are also included in the Scientific Use File (SUF). DemoDiff is a parallel study of East German anchor respondents from the birth cohorts 1971-73 and 1981-83, as well as their partners, funded by the Max-Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Rostock. The first wave of the DemoDiff study began with a one-year delay after the pairfam study; the last DemoDiff wave coincided with the fourth pairfam wave. From Wave 5, the DemoDiff respondents were integrated into the pairfam sample. Step-up respondents are former respondents of the child survey that have turned 15 and now participate in the main anchor survey. These step-up respondents have been surveyed since Wave 4, their data saved in separate data sets. In Wave 11, the two youngest birth cohorts (1981-1983 and 1991-1993) were refreshed alongside a new sample from a younger birth cohort (2001-2003). In total, over 5,000 new respondents plus their partners and children were interviewed. The oldest birth cohort (1971-1973) was not refreshed. The question program for the refreshment sample is almost identical to that of the original sample. Some questions designed for repeat-participants were not posed, and refreshment sample respondents additionally answered questions posed to the original sample in previous waves. From Wave 12, the original sample and refreshment sample respondents receive identical question programs. The German Family Panel is a multi-subject study focusing on aspects of partnership and family dynamics. 1.) Partnership formation and development 2.) Transition to first and consecutive births 3.) Intergenerational relationships 4.) Parenting and child development In addition, the survey also touches on various issues from other life domains and demography. Most of the instruments are utilized either annually in each survey wave (core modules) or are rotated every two or every three years (extended modules). In the main survey, the anchor persons report - among other things - retrospectively on changes related to their partnerships, children, residences, and educational and occupational career since the last wave (Event History Calendar). The questionnaires for partners, parents, and children are similar to the main survey in terms of topics but differ in length and content. The more detailed variable lists comprise all variables with names and labels plus notes on changes between the waves. These lists are available online . The project "Dynamics of Implicit Motives in Intimate Relationships" was designed as a satellite project to the German Family Panel Pairfam https://www.pairfam.de/. The project surveyed the longitudinal interaction of partner-related explicit and implicit motive dispositions with relationship quality in German couple relationships over three years. The population comprises all pairfam anchor persons (and their partners) who a) are in a romantic relationship, b) are at least 18 years old and c) speak fluent German. The study was conducted online (CAWI) and ran from August 2016 to August 2019. Primary researchers of the satellite project are Birk Hagemeyer (University of Jena) and Felix D. Schönbrodt (LMU Munich).1.) Partnership formation and development: Expectations concerning partnership (positive, negative); Partnership biography since age 14 (sex and age of partners, partnership, cohabitation and marriage episodes by month); Getting to know each other (current partner); Institutionalization of partnership (plans, ambivalence, stages); Sexuality (first times, sexual orientation, frequency of sexual intercourse, sexual competence and communication, satisfaction with sex life); Activities with partner (leisure); Cohabitation (dwelling, distance between places of residence); Division of household chores (several activities, fairness); Finances in partnership (bank accounts, living expenses); Quality of partnership (dyadic coping, NRI, MITA, feelings of competence, future orientation, readiness to make sacrifices, reciprocity orientation, problems in partnership, hostile attributions, areas of conflicts, conflict styles and behavior, tolerance of conflicts, satisfaction with relationship, subjective instability of partnership); Module for singles (satisfaction with situation as single, interest in partnership, desire for partnership, characteristics of the partner market, subjective chances, broad and in-depth exploration); Separation module (course of separation, problems in partnership, effects on children, emotional distress after separation, exposure with separation, custody and alimony arrangements). 2.) Transition to first and consecutive births: Expectations concerning life with children (value of children); Pregnancy (existence of pregnancy, tried to sire a child/get pregnant, infertility, procreation/measures inducing pregnancy, abortion/miscarriage, hypothetical social support in case of pregnancy); Contraception (use, methods, consistency of use); Social influences on family planning (by friends and parents); Fertility plans (ideal and realistic number of children, intention to become parent, timing of parenthood, agreement with partner, willingness to cut back for children, effects of being parent, parenthood decision making, reasons against children); Preconditions for parenthood (assessment of actual and target state); Societal context (assessment, influences of family policy). 3.) Intergenerational relationships: Expectations concerning the relationship to parents (value of parents); Familial norms; Family and partnership related values; Quality of parent-child-relationship (NRI); Dimensions of intergenerational relationships (frequency of contact, emotional closeness, travel-time distance); Given and received support (emotional, material, instrumental); Nursing (need for care parents, care provider); Activities parents with children (leisure); Leaving parents’ home (age). 4.) Parenting and child development: Child rearing goals; Parenting styles; Parenting role (parental self-efficacy, autonomy, anxious overprotection, social support, readiness to make sacrifices, hostile attributions); Co-parenting (problems, problem solving, appreciation/support); Perception of parental parenting style (negative communication, MITA); Assessment of own childhood; Child care (responsible persons, satisfaction with child care situation); Behavior of children (SDQ); Health of children (specific and in general); Newborn and infant module (delivery, checkups, breastfeeding, temperament, sleep at night, crying behavior, unspecific strain). Other life domains: Personality (“Big Five”); Well-being (loneliness, self-worth, depressiveness, etc.); Health (general status, handicap, sleep at night, body height and weight); Importance of life domains (occupation, family, etc.); Satisfaction (with life, school/job, leisure activities, friends, family, financial situation); Network integration (number of friends, network generator); Leisure (several activities); Religiosity (religious denomination, frequency of church visits); work-life-balance, critical life events in social environment. Demography: Sex; Age; Marital status; Country of birth and nationality; Number of siblings and relatives; Education (education career, educational attainment); Employment biography (employment episodes, occupation, occupational status); Employment situation (work schedule arrangement, temporary employment contract, multiple jobs, conditions at workplace, commuting, maternity/paternity leave, military/civilian service); Income and benefits (current gross and net income per month, net household income, drawing of social benefits, alimony payment, income on investments, economic deprivation); Residential biography since age 18 (first move out of parents‘ home, places of residence in federal state and country, first and second place of residence, moves, type of current household, ownership of dwelling, total living space, number of rooms, monthly expenditures for dwelling, frequency of overnight stays); Household grid (number of further persons in the household and their sex, age, kind of relationship); Information about current partner (date of birth, country of birth and nationality, education, occupation, job position, children from earlier relationships, place of residence); Information about children (number, sex, date of birth, status, cohabitation, contact, second parent, health status, child care); Information about biological parents and stepparents (date of birth, whether still alive and - if applicable - date of death, country of birth and nationality, highest level of education and vocational training, marital status, relationship status, cohabitation, old and new partnership). Starting with Wave 7, the step-up Cohort was asked about their social media use (activities with social media, frequency of Internet use, reasons for use, negative online experiences, feelings towards others after online contact, Internet dependency, fear if missing out, group norms) and about their risk-taking behavior (and delinquency). The parents of the anchor persons are only interviewed up to wave 8. Due to considerably low response rates in the parents survey, this was redesigned as one-time grandparent survey in wave 8. Children of the anchor persons taking part in the child survey will be admitted to the panel as new anchor persons (step-ups) after their 16th birthday. Starting with wave 8, all respondents under 18 were asked about: emotional symptoms (emotion); conduct problems; prosocial behavior; hyperactivity; peer problems. Starting with Wave 9, a new PAPI instrument on Parenting Adolescents and Young Adults (PAYA) was introduced to survey anchors and their partners regarding their relationship with adolescent and young adult offspring. Until Wave 9, the assessment of parent-child relationships and parenting was restricted to children up to age 15. Furthermore, PAYA includes new indicators on parental autonomy support and conversely - helicopter parenting to address this recently debated issue. Within this instrument, quality of parent-child relations are measured (supplementing the already existing child-parent perspective from the Child Interview) and questions concerning parenting of adolescent children (e.g., helicopter parenting). Starting with wave 11, we introduced an additional parenting survey for partners to assess dyadic information on children under the age of 6 years as addressed by the module for babies and toddlers and the module for 3 to 5 year old children in the anchor survey. Questions include child behavior, temperament, night sleep, hostile attributions and parenting behavior. The pairfam COVID-19 survey is an additional online survey covering the COVID-19 situation. It was conducted between May and July 2020. As a study of family life in Germany, it is particularly well suited to capture the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in private lives and personal relationships. The survey lasted approximately 15 minutes and was conducted by Kantar Public. It was targeted towards all respondents of the pairfam panel, i.e. respondents who were part of the gross sample of wave 12 and had not refused participation. In total, 3,154 anchor persons participated. For more information: ZA5959 Das Beziehungs- und Familienpanel pairfam ist eine von der DFG finanzierte multidisziplinäre Längsschnittstudie zur Erforschung der partnerschaftlichen und familialen Lebensformen in Deutschland. Die jährlich erhobenen Befragungsdaten von über 12.000 bundesweit zufällig ausgewählten Personen der Geburtsjahrgänge 1971-73, 1981-83 und 1991-93 sowie von deren Partnern, Eltern und Kindern bieten ein weltweit einmaliges Analysepotenzial bezüglich der Entwicklung von Partnerschafts- und Generationenbeziehungen in unterschiedlichen Lebensphasen. Eine umfassende Darstellung der methodischen und konzeptionellen Grundlagen des Beziehungs- und Familienpanels bietet das pairfam-Referenzpapier von Huinink et al. (2011). Ebenfalls im Scientific-Use-File enthalten sind die Daten der drei Wellen der Zusatzstudie DemoDiff und die Daten der Stepup-Befragten. DemoDiff ist eine vom Max-Planck-Institut für demographische Forschung in Rostock finanzierte parallele Befragung ostdeutscher Ankerpersonen der Kohorten 1971-73 und 1981-83 sowie deren jeweiliger Partner. Die erste DemoDiff-Erhebungswelle fand zeitverzögert ein Jahr nach dem Start von pairfam statt, die letzte DemoDiff-Welle zeitgleich mit der vierten Welle von pairfam. Mit Welle 5 wurden die Befragten von DemoDiff in die Stichprobe von pairfam übernommen. Stepup-Befragte sind ehemalige Teilnehmer an der Kinderbefragung, die über 15 Jahre alt sind und im Rahmen der Ankerpersonenbefragung weiterhin an pairfam teilnehmen. Die Stepups werden seit der vierten Welle befragt und sind in separaten Datensätzen abgelegt. In der 11. Welle wurden die beiden jüngeren Kohorten (1981-1983, 1991-1993) aufgestockt und eine neue Kohorte (2001-2003) implementiert. Insgesamt wurden über 5.000 neue Personen plus deren Partner und Kinder befragt. Die älteste Kohorte (1971-1973) wurde nicht aufgestockt. Das Frageprogramm der Aufstocker-Stichprobe gleicht zum größten Teil den Fragen der Originalstichprobe. Nur wenige Fragen, die für eine wiederholte Teilnahme konzipiert sind, wurden nicht gestellt. Zusätzlich beantwortete die Aufstocker-Stichprobe ein paar Fragen, welche der Originalstichprobe bereits in vorherigen Wellen gestellt wurden. Ab der 12. Welle gibt es keine Unterschiede mehr im Frageprogramm der Aufstocker-Stichprobe und der Originalstichprobe. Das Beziehungs- und Familienpanel ist eine Mehrthemenstudie mit Fokus auf partnerschafts- und familienrelevante Merkmale. 1.) Entwicklung und Gestaltung von Partnerschaften 2.) Familiengründung und -erweiterung 3.) Intergenerationale Beziehungen 4.) Erziehung und kindliche Entwicklung Zudem werden mit dem Frageprogramm zahlreiche Aspekte aus anderen Lebensbereichen und umfangreiche soziodemographische Informationen erfasst. Die meisten Instrumente kommen alljährlich (Kernmodule) oder rotierend alle zwei bis drei Befragungswellen (Vertiefungsmodule) zum Einsatz. Die Hauptbefragung wird mit den Ankerpersonen durchgeführt, unter anderem mit monatsgenauen Angaben zu Ereignissen in Bezug auf Partnerschaft, Kinder, Wohnen sowie Bildung und Erwerbstätigkeit (Event History Calendar). Das Befragungsprogramm für die Partner, Eltern und Kinder orientiert sich an der Haupterhebung, unterscheidet sich jedoch in Umfang und Inhalt. Die vollständige Auflistung aller Items inklusive Hinweisen auf Änderungen zwischen den Wellen kann den Variablenlisten entnommen werden. Diese Übersicht und die vollständigen Fragebögen sind abrufbar auf der pairfam Homepage unter Dokumentation. Das Projekt "Dynamics of Implicit Motives in Intimate Relationship" wurde als Satellitenprojekt zum Deutschen Familienpanel Pairfam https://www.pairfam.de/ konzipiert. Das Projekt untersuchte das längsschnittliche Zusammenspiel partnerbezogener expliziter und impliziter Motivdispositionen mit der Beziehungsqualität in deutschen Paarbeziehungen über drei Jahre. Die Grundgesamtheit umfasst alle pairfam Anker-Personen (und ihre Partner), die a) in einer Liebesbeziehung sind, b) mindestens 18 Jahre alt sind und c) fließend Deutsch sprechen. Die Studie wurde online (CAWI) durchgeführt und lief von August 2016 bis August 2019. Primärforscher des Satellitenprojekts sind Birk Hagemeyer (Universität Jena) und Felix D. Schönbrodt (LMU München).1.) Entwicklung und Gestaltung von Partnerschaften: Erwartungen an Partnerschaften (positiv, negativ); Partnerschaftsbiografie ab dem 14. Lebensjahr (Geschlecht und Alter der Partner, monatsgenaue Beziehungs-, Kohabitations- und Eheepisoden); Kennenlernen (aktueller Partner); Institutionalisierung der Partnerschaft (Intentionen, Ambivalenz, Fortschritte); Sexualität (erste Male, sexuelle Orientierung, Häufigkeit Geschlechtsverkehr, sexuelle Kompetenz und Kommunikation, Zufriedenheit mit Sexualleben); gemeinsame Aktivitäten mit Partner (Freizeit); Kohabitation (Wohnsituation, Wohnortentfernung); Arbeitsteilung im Haushalt (verschiedene Tätigkeiten, Fairness); gemeinsame Finanzen (Kontoführung, Ausgaben); Partnerschaftsqualität (dyadisches Coping, NRI, MITA, Kompetenzgefühle, Zukunftsorientierung, Opferbereitschaft, Reziprozitätsorientierung, beziehungswidrige Ereignisse, feindselige Attributionen, Konfliktbereiche, Konfliktstile, Konflikttoleranz, Konfliktverhalten, Beziehungszufriedenheit, subjektive Partnerschaftsinstabilität); Single-Modul (Zufriedenheit als Single, Partnerinteresse, Partnerwunsch, Merkmale des Partnermarkts, subjektive Chancen, Exploration in Breite und Tiefe); Trennungsmodul (Ablauf der Trennung, beziehungswidrige Ereignisse, Auswirkungen der Trennung auf Kinder, spezifische Emotionen heute, Umgang mit Trennung, Sorgerechts- und Unterhaltsregelung). 2.) Familiengründung und Familienerweiterung: Erwartungen an Kinder (Value of Children); Schwangerschaft (Bestehen einer Schwangerschaft, Zeugungsversuche, Fruchtbarkeit, Repromaßnahmen, Abbruch/Fehlgeburt, hypothetische Unterstützung durch soziales Umfeld); Empfängnisverhütung (Anwendung, Methode, Konsequenz der Verhütung); Einflüsse des sozialen Umfelds auf Familienplanung (durch Freunde und Eltern); Familienplanung (Kinderwunsch, realistische Kinderzahl, Fertilitätsabsichten, Timing von Elternschaft, Übereinstimmung mit Partner, Einschränkungsbereitschaft, Auswirkungen von Elternschaft, Entscheidungsfindung, Gründe gegen Kinder); Voraussetzungen für Kinder (Soll- und Ist-Bewertung); gesellschaftliche Rahmenbedingungen (Bewertungen, familienpolitische Änderungen). 3.) Intergenerationale Beziehungen (IGB): Erwartungen an Beziehung zu Eltern; familiale Normen; partnerschafts- und familienbezogene Werte; Qualität der Eltern-Kind-Beziehung (NRI); IGB-Dimensionen (Kontakthäufigkeit, emotionale Nähe, Wohnentfernung); gegenseitige Unterstützungsleistungen (emotional, materiell, instrumentell); Pflegebedürftigkeit der Eltern (Hilfeleistung); gemeinsame Freizeit Eltern-Kinder (verschiedene Aktivitäten); Alter bei Auszug aus dem Elternhaus. 4.) Erziehung und kindliche Entwicklung: Erziehungsziele; Erziehungsstile; Elternrolle (Kompetenz, Autonomie, Überfürsorge, soziale Unterstützung, Opferbereitschaft, negative Attributionen); Coparenting (Probleme, Problemlösung, Unterstützung); eigene Erziehung durch Eltern (negative Kommunikation, MITA); Einschätzung der eigenen Kindheit; Betreuungssituation der Kinder (verantwortliche Personen, Zufriedenheit); Persönlichkeit der Kinder (SDQ); Gesundheit der Kinder (spezifisch, allgemein); Neugeborenen-/Kleinkinder-Modul (Entbindung, U-Untersuchungen, Stillverhalten, Temperament des Kindes, Nachtschlaf, Schreiverhalten, Belastungssituation). Andere Lebensbereiche: Persönlichkeitsmerkmale („Big Five“); Befindlichkeit (Einsamkeit, Selbstwertgefühl, Depressivität etc.); Gesundheit (allgemeiner Zustand, Erwerbsminderung, Nachtschlaf, Größe, Gewicht); Wichtigkeit von Lebensbereichen (Beruf, Familie etc.); allgemeine Lebenszufriedenheit und Zufriedenheit mit Schule/Beruf, Freizeitgestaltung, Freunden, Familie, finanzieller Situation; Netzwerkeinbindung (Anzahl der Freunde, Netzwerkgenerator); Freizeitgestaltung (verschiedene Aktivitäten); Religiosität (Glaubensgemeinschaft, Kirchgangshäufigkeit); Work-Life-Balance, kritische Lebensereignisse im sozialen Umfeld. Demographie: Geschlecht; Alter; Geburtsdatum; Familienstand; Geburtsland und Nationalität; Geschwister; Verwandte; Bildung (Schullaufbahn, Abschluss); Erwerbsbiographie (berufliche Tätigkeiten, Stellung); Erwerbssituation (Arbeitszeitregelung, Befristung, Mehrfachtätigkeiten, Bedingungen am Arbeitsplatz, Pendeln, Elternzeit bzw. Wehr- oder Ersatzdienst); Einkommen (eigener Brutto- und Nettomonatsverdienst, Haushaltsnettoeinkommen, Bezug staatlicher Transferzahlungen, Unterhalt, Vermögenseinkommen, Bewertung der finanziellen Situation); Wohnbiographie ab dem 18. Lebensjahr (erster Auszug aus Elternhaus, Wohnorte in Bundesland und Land, Erst- und Zweitwohnsitz, Umzüge, Art des Haushalts, Besitzverhältnisse (Wohnstatus), Wohnfläche, Zimmerzahl, Wohnkosten, Anzahl der Übernachtungen); Haushaltszusammensetzung (Anzahl weiterer Personen im Haushalt, Geschlecht, Alter, Beziehung); Angaben zum aktuellen Partner (Geburtsdatum, Geburtsland und Nationalität, Bildung, Tätigkeit, berufliche Stellung, Kinder aus früheren Beziehungen, Wohnort); Angaben zu Kindern (Anzahl, Geschlecht, Geburtsdatum, Kindschaftsverhältnis/Status, Zusammenleben, Kontakt, zweites Elternteil, Gesundheitszustand, Betreuung); Angaben zu leiblichen Eltern und Stiefeltern (Geburtsdatum, Lebensstatus, ggf. Sterbedatum, Geburtsland und Nationalität, höchster Schul- und Ausbildungsabschluss, Familienstand, Partnerschaftsstatus,