Life events and life satisfaction: Estimating effects of multiple life events in combined models

Abstract

How do life events affect life satisfaction? Previous studies focused on a single event or separate analyses of several events. However, life events are often grouped non-randomly over the lifespan, occur in close succession, and are causally linked, raising the question of how to best analyze them jointly. Here, we used representative German data (SOEP; N = 40,121 individuals; n = 41,402 event occurrences) to contrast three fixed-effects model specifications: First, individual event models in which other events were ignored, which are thus prone to undercontrol bias; second, combined event models which controlled for all events, including subsequent ones, which may induce overcontrol bias; and third, our favored combined models that only controlled for preceding events. In this preferred model, the events of new partner, cohabitation, marriage, and childbirth had positive effects on life satisfaction, while separation, unemployment, and death of partner or child had negative effects. Model specification made little difference for employment- and bereavement-related events. However, for events related to romantic relationships and childbearing, small but consistent differences arose between models. Thus, when estimating effects of new partners, separation, cohabitation, marriage, and childbirth, care should be taken to include appropriate controls (and omit inappropriate ones) to minimize bias.

Individual differences in changes in subjective well-being: The role of event characteristics after negative life events.

“…Second, future research should assess other possibly relevant confounders that we could not examine in the present study. For example, previously experienced life events could influence the perception of the current event and the current SWB (Krämer et al, 2023). Third, in this study, we tested a range of potential confounding variables by using specification curve analyses.…”

Stability and Change of Spirituality following Childbirth: Longitudinal Evidence from Data of the Swiss Household Panel Using Multiple Propensity Score Matching Analyses

“…As noted earlier, the long timespan between measurements only allowed for mediumterm statements. Assessing spirituality more often and in closer proximity to the event would provide insights into the complex meaning-making processes during this transition and frequently co-occurring life events (see Krämer et al, 2023).…”

Differences between lifelong singles and ever-partnered individuals in Big Five personality traits and life satisfaction

“…Life satisfaction also differs between singles and partnered individuals. Previous research mainly suggests that singles report lower life satisfaction as compared to partnered individuals (as reviewed in Girme et al, 2023), and that entering a relationship increases life satisfaction (Bühler et al, 2023;Krämer et al, 2023). Cohabitation and marriage seem to have additional enhancing effects on well-being (Uunk & Hoffmann, 2022).…”

“…For example, people who ended a relationship recently might still suffer from the separation, which could negatively affect their life satisfaction, but dampen with the passage of time (Krämer et al, 2023;Luhmann et al, 2012). In addition, the effect whereby singles report lower well-being on average might be predominantly driven by divorced people and not pertain to lifelong singles (DePaulo & Morris, 2005;Johnson & Wu, 2002).…”