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. 2010 Nov;99(2):183-203.
doi: 10.1007/s11205-010-9584-9.

Life Satisfaction Across the Lifespan: Findings from Two Nationally Representative Panel Studies

Brendan M Baird  1 , Richard E Lucas, M Brent Donnellan
Affiliations

Life Satisfaction Across the Lifespan: Findings from Two Nationally Representative Panel Studies

Brendan M Baird et al. Soc Indic Res. 2010 Nov.

Abstract

Two large-scale, nationally representative panel studies (the German Socio Economic Panel Study and the British Household Panel Study) were used to assess changes in life satisfaction over the lifespan. The cross-sectional and longitudinal features of these studies were used to isolate age-related changes from confounding factors including instrumentation effects and cohort effects. Although estimated satisfaction trajectories varied somewhat across studies, two consistent findings emerged. First, both studies show that life satisfaction does not decline over much of adulthood. Second, there is a steep decline in life satisfaction among those older than 70. The British data also showed a relatively large increase in satisfaction from the 40s to the early 70s. Thus, age differences in well-being can be quite large and deserve increased empirical and theoretical attention.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Results from the cross-sectional, aggregated, and multilevel modeling analyses (GSOEP)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Plot of linear effect of length of time in study by age group (GSOEP)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Comparison of the first-year cross-sectional effect to the adjusted age effect from the final multilevel model (GSOEP)
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Results from the cross-sectional, aggregated, and multilevel modeling analyses (BHPS)
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Cohort-sequential analysis from age 60 to age 90 (BHPS)
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Plot of linear effect of wave by age group (BHPS)
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Estimated life satisfaction trajectory for the four subsamples of the BHPS
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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