Study Feather & O'Brien (1986): study AU 1980
- Public
- School-leavers, Australia, followed 2 years,1980-1982
- Sample
- Respondents
- N = 5446
- Non Response
- T2: 25%, T3: 34%
- Assessment
-
Questionnaire: Paper & Pencil Interview (PAPI)
Mailed orr administered in the schools.
Correlate
- Authors's Label
- Unemployment.
- Our Classification
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-
- Remarks
- Level of happiness at T1(1980), T2(1981) and T3(1982). T1 and T2 happiness by T2 employment(sample A): T2-empl. T2 unempl. difference
- Related specification variables
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-
- Operationalization
- 0 Employed at T2/T3.
1 Unemployed at T2/T3
Observed Relation with Happiness
happiness at T2 Mt'= 6.61 Mt'= 6.16 -.45
Interaction employment x time (nonsignificant):
happ. T1 to T2 +.08 -.30 -.38
T1 and T3 happiness by T3 employment(sample A):
T3-empl. T3 unempl. difference
happiness at T3 Mt'= 6.50 Mt'= 5.80 -.70
Interaction employment x time ( p<01 ):
happ. T1 to T3 -.10 -.56 -.46
T2 and T3 happiness by T3 employment(sample A+B):
T3-empl. T3 unempl. difference
happiness at T3 Mt'= 6.43 Mt'= 5.60 -.83
Interaction employment x time ( p< 01):
happ. T2 to T3 +.16 -.33 -.49
Significance assessed by variance-analysis, also involving employment.
The original depression score is ranging from
4 to 28. Mt' is standardized into a happpiness score (0-10 and reversed)
Possible testing effects checked by comparing three sub-samples:
- sample A: selected at T1, tested at T1, T2, T3
- sample B: selected at T1, tested at T2 and T3
- sample C: selected at T1, tested at T3 only
At T3 happiness appeared lower in sample A than in sample B, but there is little evidence for systematic testing effects.