PROJECT PAGE
Panel Analysis of Intimate Relationships
and Family Dynamics (pairfam)
The pairfam design follows a multi-cohort approach with so-called anchor persons at the center. These anchor persons were selected randomly from all persons living in private households in Germany born in the three cohorts 1991-93, 1981-83, and 1971-73, a restocking and refreshment sample in wave 11 has added the cohort 2001-03. The design implements a multi-actor approach, i. e. the anchor’s partner and – from the second wave onwards – also the anchor’s parents and/or stepparents plus children at the age of 8 to 15 living in the household (former children participants above the age of 15 as “step-up” anchor persons ) are additionally included in the survey. Crucial element of the pairfam design is its panel approach with yearly repeated interviews of the anchor persons and their partners, parents, and children. The German Family Panel is scheduled to run for 14 years, ending in 2022. The initial sample of wave 1 (2008/09) consists of 12,402 anchor persons of the three birth cohorts plus 3,743 partners. The conceptual framework of the German Family Panel, its theoretical background, research design, and thematic priorities are described in an article by Huinink et al. (2011) published in the Journal of Family Research. This reference paper is intended to serve as an introduction for those interested in the pairfam project and as a common reference point for all publications that are based on German Family Panel data.
Principal Investigator(s): Drs. Josef Bruderl, Sonja Drobnic, Karsten Hank, Franz Neyer, Sabine Welper
General Information
Country of Data Collection: Germany
Years of Data Collection: 2008-present
Study Status: Ongoing
Total Number of Assessments Completed: 11
Approx. Retention Rate: 33-73%
Sample
Composition: Community sample; Family study (target, partner/spouse, children, parents)
Target/Anchor sample
Sex
SES
Race/Ethnicity
Partner/Spouse sample
Sex
SES
Race/Ethnicity
Child sample
Sex
SES
Race/Ethnicity
Parent (of Target/Anchor) sample
Sex
SES
Race/Ethnicity
Personality Data
Target/Anchor
Construct
Explosiveness
Emotional Autonomy
Self-Esteem
Shyness
Big Five
Dark Triad
Trust
Loneliness
Depressiveness
Anxiety
Self-Regulation
Scale
Melzer working group
Autonomy scale
Rosenberg
pairfam created
Big Five Inventory-Short
Back et al.
SOEP items
UCLA Loneliness scale
State-Trait Depression Scales
Positive and Negative Affect Sched
Primary-Secondary Control Scales
Waves
T1, T5, T9
T1, T5, T9
T1-T11
T1, T5, T9
T2, T6, T10
T9, T11
T10, T11
T1, T4, T5, T7, T11
T2-T11
T4, T5
T8, T10
Method
Self-Report
Self-Report
Self-Report
Self-Report
Self-Report
Self-Report
Self-Report
Self-Report
Self-Report
Self-Report
Self-Report
Partner/Spouse
Construct
Explosiveness
Emotional Autonomy
Self-Esteem
Shyness
Big Five
Loneliness
Depressiveness
Scale
Melzer working group
Autonomy scale
Rosenberg
pairfam created
Big Five Inventory-Short
UCLA Loneliness scale
State-Trait Depression Scales
Waves
T1, T3, T5
T1, T3, T5
T1-T11
T1, T3, T5
T2
T1, T3, T11
T2-T11
Method
Self-Report
Self-Report
Self-Report
Self-Report
Self-Report
Self-Report
Self-Report
Child
Construct
Temperament (4)
Self-Esteem
Big Five
Scale
Strengths & Difficulties Questionnaire
Rosenberg
Big Five Inventory-Short
Waves
T2-T11
T8-T11
T10
Method
Self-, Parent-Report
Self-Report
Self-Report
academic/school
affect/emotion
Happiness, well-being, life satisfaction
health behavior
job/work
life events
mental health
parenting
physical health
relationship functioning
values
Data Access
Project Website: https://www.pairfam.de/en/
Codebook Available Online: Yes, https://www.pairfam.de/en/documentation/
Data Available Online: No
Project Proposal Required to Use Data: Yes, see https://www.pairfam.de/en/data/data-access/
Contact
Contact: support@pairfam.de