print

Correlational findings

Study Schimmack & Lucas (2007): study XZ Germany West 1984

Public
Couples, followed 21 years, West-Germany 1984-2004
Survey name
DE-SOEP
Sample
Respondents
N = 1728
Non Response
Assessment
Interview: face-to-face
Yearly, with both spouses separately

Correlate

Authors's Label
spousal similarity in life-satisfaction
Our Classification
Remarks
847 couples that participated in all 21 waves
Operationalization
Correlation in response to single question:

"Taking all things together, how satisfied are you with your life these days?
10 totally satisfied
.
.
0  totally unsatisfied

Both spouses answered this question independently each year between 1984 and 2004

Observed Relation with Happiness

Happiness Measure Statistics Elaboration / Remarks O-SLW-c-sq-n-11-d r = +.52 Average correlation spousal similarity for each of the 21 waves from 1984 to 2004"

Same year correlations are higher than cross lagged correlations

The correlation declines slightly over the years O-SLW-c-sq-n-11-d r = +.64 Average correlation of own happiness with spouces happiness one year later O-SLW-c-sq-n-11-d r = +.35 T1 own happiness by happiness of spouse 21 years later