CHANGE NOTICE #29 - data version 12.22 - February 2008

This change notice documents changes made to the WLS data between December 19,2007 and February 14, 2008.

Newly Added Variables

Addition of Summary Score with Means Imputed for Missing Components.

Prior to this release, missing values included as part of a summary score were treated as 0. Now summary scores include a second paired variable in which missing components receive the mean of the valid responses prior to summation. This new variable is only constructed if at least half of the components receive a valid response. Else the new summary measure is set to missing. The new summary variables end in the letter i. The first seven characters of the new variable are identical to the corresponding summary score available in previous releases. The older version of the summary score is retained in the data files.

Variables with Imputed Means for Missing Components in Mail 1993 Graduate Modules

• mn001rei Summary score for autonomy.
• mn010rei Summary score for environmental mastery.
• mn019rei Summary score for personal growth.
• mn028rei Summary score for positive relation with others.
• mn037rei Summary score for purpose in life.
• mn046rei Summary score for self-acceptance.
• mn055rei Summary score for Brandstadter flexible goal adjustment scale
• mn062rei Summary score for tenacious goal pursuit

See Mail: Psychological. for details about variables in proceeding list.

• mh001rei Summary score for extraversion.
• mh009rei Summary score for agreeableness
• mh017rei Summary score for conscientiousness
• mh025rei Summary score for neuroticism
• mh032rei Summary score for openness

See Mail: Personality for details about variables in proceeding list.

• my001rei Summary score for family stress spilling over to work
• my007rei Summary score for work stress spilling over to family life
• my013rei Summary score for family enhancement spilling over to work

See Mail: Family/Work for details about variables in proceeding list.

Variables with Imputed Means for Missing Components in Mail 1994 Selected Sibling Modules

• np001rei Summary score for autonomy.
• np010rei Summary score for environmental mastery.
• np019rei Summary score for personal growth.
• np028rei Summary score for positive relation with others.
• np037rei Summary score for purpose in life.
• np046rei Summary score for self-acceptance.
• np055rei Summary score for Brandstadter flexible goal adjustment scale
• np062rei Summary score for tenacious goal pursuit

See Mail: Psychological for details about variables in proceeding list.

• nh001rei Summary score for extraversion.
• nh009rei Summary score for agreeableness
• nh017rei Summary score for conscientiousness
• nh025rei Summary score for neuroticism
• nh032rei Summary score for openness

See Mail: Personality for details about variables in proceeding list.

• ny001rei Summary score for family stress spilling over to work
• ny007rei Summary score for work stress spilling over to family life
• ny013rei Summary score for family enhancement spilling over to work

See Mail: Family/Work for details about variables in proceeding list.

Variables with Imputed Means for Missing Components in Mail 2004 Graduate Modules

• in001rei Summary score for autonomy
• in010rei Summary score for environmental mastery
• in019rei Summary score for personal growth
• in028rei Summary score for positive relation with others
• in037rei Summary score for purpose in life
• in046rei Summary score for self-acceptance
• ih001rei Summary score for extraversion
• ih009rei Summary score for agreeableness
• ih017rei Summary score for conscientiousness
• ih025rei Summary score for neuroticism
• ih032rei Summary score for openness

See Mail: Values And Attitudes for details about variables in proceeding list.

Variables with Imputed Means for Missing Components in Mail 2005 Selected Sibling Modules

• dn001rei Summary score for autonomy
• dn010rei Summary score for environmental mastery
• dn019rei Summary score for personal growth
• dn028rei Summary score for positive relation with others
• dn037rei Summary score for purpose in life
• dn046rei Summary score for self-acceptance
• dh001rei Summary score for extraversion
• dh009rei Summary score for agreeableness
• dh017rei Summary score for conscientiousness
• dh025rei Summary score for neuroticism
• dh032rei Summary score for openness

See Mail: Values And Attitudes for details about variables in proceeding list.

Corrections or Updates to Previously Released Variables

1957-1977 Graduate and Selected Sibling Variables

• xbrdxdy Year of selected siblings birth. Valid values replace missing for 2000+ cases.

1992-1993 Graduate Variables

ru024rec Number of depression symptoms. Number of cases affected = 2445 cases.

• Questions on depressive symptoms were only asked of 79 percent of the sample. Those not in this sample were previously coded 0 but are now coded -2 (inapplicable).
• Participants who refused to respond or answered "don't know" to an earlier screener question (Variable ru002re: Ever period of depression), were previously coded 0 for ru024rec and are now coded -3 (refused).
• Participants who answered "Yes" to an earlier question (ru003re: period of depression caused by med, alcohol or drugs) were skipped out of depressive symptoms questions. These cases were previously coded 0 for ru024rec and are now coded -2 (inapplicable).
• Participants who refused or answered "don't know" to all questions: ru006re-ru012re (depression symptoms), were previously coded 0 but are now coded -3 (refused).

ru034rec Number of alcohol symptoms. Number of cases affected = 2006 cases.

• Questions on alcohol symptoms were only asked of 79 percent of the sample. Those not in this sample were previously coded as 0 but are now coded -2 (inapplicable).
• Participants who refused to respond or answered "don't know" to all five questions on alcohol use (ru025re through ru033re) were previously coded 0 and are now coded -3.
• Participants who responded to one or two of the five questions on alcohol use were previously coded as the sum of the valid responses. The code for these cases is now -3.

rh001rec, rh003rec, rh005rec, rh007rec, rh009rec. Summary scores for extraversion,openness, neuroticism, conscientiousness, and agreeableness in the 1993 phone module.

• The summary scores for each of these variables was based on two questions. If the participant refused to answer both items they were previously scored 0. Now these scores have been changed to -3.
• If the participant answered only one of the two items, the score was set to that one item. Now the score is -3.

rn002red, rn004red, rn006red, rn008red, rn010red, rn012red. Summary scores for psychological well-being for 1993 graduate phone.

• The summary score for each of these variables was based on two questions. If the participant refused to answer both items they were previously coded 0. Now these scores have been changed to -3.
• If only one of the two questions received a valid response, previously the score was set to that valid response. Now these scores are -3.

1993-94 Selected Sibling Variables

su024rec Number of depression symptoms. Number of cases affected = 1354 cases.

• Questions on depressive symptoms were only asked of 79 percent of the sample. Those not in this sample were previously coded 0 but are now coded -2 (inapplicable).
• Participants who refused to respond or answered "don't know" to an earlier screener question (Variable su002re: Ever period of depression), were previously coded 0 for su024rec and are now coded -3 (refused).
• Participants who answered "Yes" to an earlier question (su003re: period of depression caused by med, alcohol or drugs) were skipped out of depressive symptoms questions. These cases were previously coded 0 for su024rec and are now coded -2 (inapplicable).
• Participants who refused or answered "don't know" to all questions: su006re-su012re (depression symptoms), were previously coded 0 but are now coded -3 (refused).

su034rec Number of alcohol symptoms. Number of cases affected = 1050 cases.

• Questions on alcohol symptoms were only asked of 79 percent of the sample. Those not in this sample were previously coded as 0 but are now coded -2 (inapplicable).
• Participants who refused to respond or answered "don't know" to all five questions on alcohol use (su025re through su033re) were previously coded 0 and are now coded -3.
• Participants who responded to one or two of the five questions on alcohol use were previously coded as the sum of the valid responses. The code for these cases is now -3.

sh001rec, sh003rec, sh005rec, sh007rec, sh009rec. Summary scores for extraversion,openness, neuroticism, conscientiousness, and agreeableness in the 1993 phone module.

• The summary scores for each of these variables was based on two questions. If the participant refused to answer both items they were previously scored 0. Now these scores have been changed to -3.
• If the participant answered only one of the two items, the score was set to that one item. Now the score is -3.

sn002red, sn004red, sn006red, sn008red, sn010red, sn012red. Summary scores for psychological well-being for 1994 selected sibling phone.

• The summary score for each of these variables was based on two questions. If the participant refused to answer both items they were previously coded 0. Now these scores have been changed to -3.
• If only one of the two questions received a valid response, previously the score was set to that valid response. Now these scores are -3.

2004 Graduate Variables

gu024re Count of depression symptoms. Recoded to match coding of ru024rec in 1993. Number of cases affected = 4454.

• Participants who refused to respond or answered "don't know" to the depression screener question (Variable gu002re: Ever period of depression), were previously coded -2 (inapplicable) for gu024re and are now coded -3 (refused).
• Participants who answered "no" to the depression screener question (Variable gu002re: Ever period of depression), were previously coded -2 for gu024re and are now coded 0.
• Participants who responded to one, two, or three of the seven questions on depression symptoms use were previously coded based on those valid responses. The code for these cases is now -3.
• Participants who partialed out of the phone instrument prior to the depression module were coded -2 (inapplicable) and are now coded -5 (partial).
• Notes for gu024re in the codebook now clearly define values.
• gua24re Number of valid responses for count in gu024re is now included in the data and documentation file.

2004 Graduate Spouse Variables

au024re Count of depression symptoms. Number of cases affected = 2379.

• Participants who refused to respond or answered "don't know" to the depression screener question (Variable au002re: Ever period of depression), were previously coded -2 (inapplicable) for au024re and are now coded -3 (refused).
• Participants who answered "no" to the depression screener question (Variable au002re: Ever period of depression), were previously coded -2 for au024re and are now coded 0.
• Participants who responded to one, two, or three of the seven questions on depression symptoms use were previously coded based on those valid responses. The code for these cases is now -3.
• Participants who partialed out of the phone instrument prior to the depression module were coded -2 (inapplicable) and are now coded -5 (partial).
• Notes for au024re in the codebook now clearly define values.
• aua24re Number of valid responses for count in au024re is now included in the data and documentation file.

2005 Selected Sibling Variables

cu024re Count of depression symptoms. Recoded to match coding of su024rec in 1994. Number of cases affected = 2633.

• Participants who refused to respond or answered "don't know" to the depression screener question (Variable cu002re: Ever period of depression), were previously coded -2 (inapplicable) for cu024re and are now coded -3 (refused).
• Participants who answered "no" to the depression screener question (Variable cu002re: Ever period of depression), were previously coded -2 for cu024re and are now coded 0.
• Participants who responded to one, two, or three of the seven questions on depression symptoms use were previously coded based on those valid responses. The code for these cases is now -3.
• Participants who partialed out of the phone instrument prior to the depression module were coded -2 (inapplicable) and are now coded -5 (partial).
• Notes for cu024re in the codebook now clearly define values.
• cua24re Number of valid responses for count in cu024re is now included in the data and documentation file.

2005 Selected Sibling Spouse Variables

Responses to vignette items were inadverately omitted from the previous release.

See Sibling Spouse Health variables bxa01rer through bxn03re.

ICD-9 codes updated for bv032bre condition/illness/disability that caused sib spouse to need personal care.

bu024re Count of depression symptoms. Number of cases affected = 1293.

• Participants who refused to respond or answered "don't know" to the depression screener question (Variable bu002re: Ever period of depression), were previously coded -2 (inapplicable) for bu024re and are now coded -3 (refused).
• Participants who answered "no" to the depression screener question (Variable bu002re: Ever period of depression), were previously coded -2 for bu024re and are now coded 0.
• Participants who responded to one, two, or three of the seven questions on depression symptoms use were previously coded based on those valid responses. The code for these cases is now -3.
• Participants who partialed out of the phone instrument prior to the depression module were coded -2 (inapplicable) and are now coded -5 (partial).
• Notes for bu024re in the codebook now clearly define values.
• bua24re Number of valid responses for count in bu024re is now included in the data and documentation file.