25 Waves of the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP): An Asset to Inter-disciplinary Research

The German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP) has been providing representative data records on the population in Germany in annual surveys since 1984, i.e., for almost 25 years. With the 2008's fieldwork, 25 waves have been completed. The SOEP expanded to include a sample from East Germany in 1990 as well as to include special samples on immigration and high-income households. Looking back over 25 years of scientific activity is, for an institution, which is what SOEP has become, also an opportunity to examine its original purpose and resources, the development steps and results that followed, and its current aims.

Über die Qualitätsbeurteilung von Fisch

Auszug aus einem Referat, gehalten auf der WEFTA-Tagung in Hambur

Introduction to the main topic

Einführung zum Themenschwerpunkt "Generationenbeziehungen im sozialen Wandel und im Kulturvergleich" Heft 4/2002. (DIPF/Orig.

Longitudinal associations of neuroticism with life satisfaction and social adaptation in a nationally representative adult sample

Objective: Correlational studies have frequently linked neuroticism to lower well-being and poorer social adaptation. In this study, we examined the longitudinal associations of neuroticism with life satisfaction and aspects of social adaptation (i.e., loneliness, number of close friends, and interpersonal trust). Method: Cross-lagged panel models (CLPMs) and random intercepts cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPMs) were used to analyze the prospective associations between variables in a nationally representative adult sample from Germany (N = 5,663 to 11,079 per analysis; 2-4 measurement waves with lags of 4-5 years). Results: CLPMs indicated that higher neuroticism was related to lower life satisfaction, higher loneliness, fewer friends, and lower interpersonal trust, but not vice versa. At the within-person level, RI-CLPMs revealed similar findings with increased neuroticism predicting decreases in life satisfaction, increases in loneliness, and decreases in interpersonal trust. Indices of social adaptation partially mediated the link between neuroticism and life satisfaction at the between-person but not at the within-person level. Exploratory multigroup analyses support the generalization of the cross-lagged effects of neuroticism on life satisfaction and social adaptation across age, gender, and geographical regions (East versus West Germany). Conclusions: These findings highlight the role of neuroticism in shaping psychosocial outcomes over time

Family values and parenting of East and West German mothers: Two cohorts from the Value of Children study

This study is part of the international Value-of-Children and Intergenerational Relations Project (P.I.: Gisela Trommsdorff & Bernhard Nauck). The current study compared family-related values and child-rearing goals as well as reported parenting behavior between mothers from East Germany (Chemnitz) and West Germany (Konstanz) across two cohorts of mothers (N = 411). The first cohort consisted of mothers of adolescent children (age 14-18 years), and the second cohort of mothers of small children (age 2-5 years). Results showed that East German mothers of both cohorts were more collectivistic and showed stronger conservative family values than West German mothers while reporting a lower ideal number of children. With regard to the importance of reasons to have children (‘values of children,’ VOC), all samples reported an equally high importance of emotional values and an equally low importance of traditional utilitarian values. East German mothers of both cohorts reported higher family-related VOCs than West German mothers. With regard to child-rearing goals, East German as compared to West German mothers of both cohorts reported a higher importance of children’s obedience to parents and of children’s school achievement. With respect to reported parenting behavior East German mothers reported more controlling parenting than West German mothers. To summarize, East German mothers reported more conservative and family-oriented values and a somewhat stricter parenting orientation than West German mothers; these differences occurred in both cohorts. Results are discussed from a cultural-psychological perspective of social change

Intergenerational Transmission of Values in Different Cultural Contexts: A Study in Germany and Indonesia

The aim of this study1 is to investigate cultural similarities and differences in the transmission of general and domain-specific value orientations (individualism/collectivism, and value of children) within German and Indonesian families. Supposing that both cultures differ with respect to developmental pathways of independence and interdependence, we asked if the extent of intergenerational transmission of values within families differs between Germany and Indonesia, and we studied possible cultural differences in intergenerational transmission with respect to different value contents. More precisely, we asked if there is a difference in transmission of values that are highly versus not highly endorsed by the members of the respective culture. The sample is part of the cross-cultural study “Value of Children and Intergenerational Relations” and included altogether 610 German and Indonesian motheradolescent dyads as well as altogether 200 triads of maternal grandmothers, mothers, and adolescents. Results showed intergenerational transmission of values between adjacent generations both in the German and the Indonesian sample, but transmission of individualistic values was higher in the Indonesian sample. The results are discussed under a theoretical framework of cultural specifics of intergenerational transmission

Vapor-solvent shift of the lowest frequency vibration of p-benzoquinone and toluquinone and the consequences for the vibrational and electronic spectral assignments

Far-infrared (20–230 cm–1) absorption spectra of p-benzoquinone-h4,-d4 and of toluquinone have been measured. In the vapor phase, the lowest frequency vibration of these three compounds is found at 88.9, 87.5, and 82.3 cm–1, respectively. In the condensed phase the frequency increases by approximately 20 cm–1. These measurements clarify assignments, based on this vibrational mode, of the visible absorption spectrum as well as of other vibrations. It is proposed that intermolecular forces are responsible for the large frequency shift and that the observed width in solution (≈24 cm–1) is homogeneous, reflecting rapid relaxation processes of this large amplitude low frequency bending mode