| 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. |