Normative data from a standardization sample from 1994 for Giessen-Test, Giessen Subjective Complaints List (Short Form), Questionnaire for the Assessment of Recalled Parental Rearing Behaviour, Life Satisfaction Questionnaire and Coping Assessment.

Research Questions/Hypotheses:

Research Design:

Normalized Test Procedure; single measurement

Measurement Instruments/Apparatus:

Short description of the employed tests:

• Giessen-Test (GT) (Brähler, Schumacher & Brähler, 1999):
  A total of 40 questionnaire items, of which 36 were summarized to the following scales: (1) Social Resonance (negative social resonance versus positive social resonance); (2) Dominance (dominant versus submissive); (3) Control (undercontrolled versus obsessive); (4) Basic Mood (hypomanic versus depressive); (5) Permeability (permeable versus retentive); (6) Social Potency (socially potent versus socially impotent). Two further control scales assess central tendency bias (digit 0) and extreme tendency bias (digit 3), respectively. The items are answered on seven-point bipolar Likert scales (3 2 1 0 1 2 3), which are transformed before analysis (1 2 3 4 5 6 7).
• Giessen Subjective Complaints List (GBB-24) (Brähler & Scheer 1995):
  A short form with 24 items was employed. 24 different complaints are evaluated on a five-point scale according to how much one feels bothered by them. The values vary from zero to four, making the maximum possible total score 96 points. This score is a measure for total complaint intensity. Six items constitute each of the four subscales: (1) Exhaustion Tendency, (2) Stomach Complaints, (3) Limb Pain and (4) Heart Complaints.
• Questionnaire for the Assessment of Recalled Parental Rearing Behaviour (FEE) (Schumacher, Eisemann & Brähler, 1999, 2000):
  Based on the EMBU Questionnaire developed in Sweden (Perris, Jacobsson, Lindström, von Knorring, Perris, 1980; EMBU = Egna Minnen Beträffande Uppfostran - “Memories of my upbringing”) 30 items on parental rearing behaviour were assessed, answered separately for mother and father. On a four-point scale, the perceived frequency of described rearing behaviour is to be indicated. The following scales are a summary of 8 items each: (1) Rejection and Punishment; (2) Emotional Warmth; (3) Control and Overprotection.
• Life Satisfaction Questionnaire (FLZ) (Fahrenberg et al. 1986, modified version from Schumacher, Laubach & Brähler, 1995):
  Satisfaction in 10 (life) areas is assessed using 70 items. 7 items correspond to each area and are answered on a seven-point rating scale (“very satisfied” to “very unsatisfied”) General life satisfaction is determined by calculating the sum value from all areas.
• Coping Assessment Questionnaire (modified version of the Anxiety Coping Inventory ABI, Krohne, Schumacher & Egloff, 1992):
  18 statements about coping with stress are answered on a bipolar scale (personally applicable / not applicable).

Data Collection Method:

Data collection in the presence of an experimenter

• Individual Administration

Population:

Population of the Federal Republic of Germany (west and east Germany) aged 14 to 92 years

Survey Time Period:

1994-11-00 to 1994-11-00

Sample:

The random selection of households was performed using the random route method, whereby the target person to be surveyed within the household was also determined randomly. The representativity of the sample was ensured by drawing from ADM samples and comparing the data with data from the federal statistical office (age, sex and education).

Gender Distribution: 55,8% female subjects (n=1700), 44,2% male subjects (n=1347)

Age Distribution: 14-92 years

Spatial Coverage (Country/Region/City): Germany

Subject Recruitment:

The random selection of households was performed using the random route method, whereby the target person to be surveyed within the household was also determined randomly. The representativity of the sample was ensured by drawing from ADM samples and comparing the data with data from the federal statistical office (age, sex and education).

Sample Size:

3047 individuals

Return/Drop Out:

The neutral quality drop out rate was approx. 3% in the gross sample (residence uninhabited, no one corresponding to the target population in the household). In the adjusted sample, there was a 31.5 % systematic drop out rate (target subject not met despite three visits 0.7 %, out of town 0.3 %, ill 0.4 %, refused interview 9.2 %, household refused to provide information 16.7 %, no one in the household met despite two visits 4.2 %). Interviews were carried out for 68.5 % of the adjusted sample, 0.2 % of which were not evaluable. Interviews of 68.3 % of the adjusted sample remained for analyses.