Study French et al. (1995): study CA Ontario 1990

Public

Elderly people, Ontario, Canada, 1990

Survey name

Unnamed study

Sample

Respondents

N = 268

Non Response

93%

Assessment

Interview: face-to-face
Interviews were realized by one of four female interviewers for two 1-2 hour sessions (separated by not more than seven days)

Correlate

Authors's Label

frequency life event

Our Classification

Remarks

Shortened version of Recent Life Change Questionnaire (Rahe, 1975)

Distribution

Total life event score of males is 4.7 and of females is 4.7

-Positive events:             Males                  Females
- expected                       2.3                        2.4
- desirable                        2.7**                     2.8**
- controllable                    2.4                        2.1
- expected-desirable        1.7                        1.9*
- expected-controllable    1.3                        1.5
- desirable-controllable     1.9                        1.8
- exp-des-con                   1.2                        1.3
-Negative events             Males                  Females
- unexpected                    2.2                        2.2
- undesirable                     1.9                        1.9
- uncontrollable                 2.3                        2.6
- ue-ud                              1.3                        1.4
- ue-uc                              1.2                        1.6
- ud-uc                              1.5                        1.6
- unexp-undes-uncon        1.0                        1.2

Related specification variables

Operationalization

Self-report on ?? questions about life events in the past 6 months
A whether this had happened, and if so
B degree of adjustment
C desirable vs. undesirable
D controllable vs.uncontrollable
E expected vs. unexpected

Life Events:
a: hospitalization (overnight)
b: major improvement in your health
c: starting a new job
d: move to an old age or nursing home
e: change in closeness of family members
f: major achievement by a family member
g: gain of a new member of household
   a) child
   b) grandchild
   c) other relative
   d) non-relative

h: separation from spouse due to hospitalization
i) major change in the number of arguments with your children
j: child or grandchild moving away
k: change in the marital status of a child or grandchild:
   a) marriage
   b) divorce
   c) remarriage

l: a change in church activities
m: problem with a lady friend or gentleman friend
n: giving up driving a car
o: reaching age 65
p: Christmas
r: sold major possessions
s: relinquished financial responsibility

Observed Relation with Happiness