Life-Span Relationships

 
 

Changes in Relationships

 

 

Changes in Relationships:
General Information

When?

Time 1

Time 2

Time 3

Time 4

Time 5

Time 6

Time 7

Where?

Intensive Protocol
(IP)
-

Intensive Protocol
(IP)

Intensive Protocol
(IP)

Intensive Protocol
(IP)

Intensive Protocol
(IP)
-

Questionnaire

IP:
Social relationships
-

IP:
Social relationships

IP:
Social relationships

IP:
Social relationships

IP:
Social relationships
-

SIR Data bank

IP:
Psycho
rec/table 1 (P1data)

rec/table 2 (P1const)

-

IP:
Psycho
rec/table 201 (P3data)

rec/table 202 (P3const)

IP:
Psycho
rec/table 301 (P4data)

rec/table 302 (P4const)

IP:
Psycho
rec/table 401 (P5data)

rec/table 402 (P5const)
IP:
Psycho
rec/table 501 (P6data)

rec/table 502 (P6const)
-

Changes in relationships were assessed in two ways. First, participants were asked whether the relationship with each network partner mentioned in the Circle Task (see Network Structure) had changed during the past five years (3 point scale; 1 = stayed the same, 2 = got worse, 3 =improved).
Second, participants were asked four single questions about different aspects of the changes in relationships on five point scales (ratings in parentheses), which were taken/adapted from the Social Networks in Adult Life Questionnaire (Kahn & Antonucci, 1980): (a) the number of relationships (1 = has decreased a lot, 5 = has increased a lot), (b) the importance of family relationships (1 = has become much less important, 5 = has become much more important), (c) the importance of relationships with friends and acquaintances (1 = has become much less important, 5 = has become much more important), and (d) a social comparison with peers' relationships (1 = much less, 5 = much more).
In addition, there was one question about general changes since the opening of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989.

Literature: Smith & Baltes, 1996; Wagner, Schütze, & Lang, 1996; Schütze, & Lang, 1993.

 

 

Changes in Relationships:
Items used in BASE

Note:
According to the design, variable names for Time 1 have the prefix b1, names for Time 3 have the prefix b3,
names for Time 4 have the prefix b4, names for Time 5 have the prefix b5, and names for Time 6 have the prefix b6.

BASE items / variables

English translation

Variable names
Time 1

Variable names
Time 3

Variable names
Time 4

Variable names
Time 5

Variable names
Time 6

1.

(Hat sich die) Beziehung während der letzten 5 Jahre (verändert)?

Has the relationship changed over the past 5 years?

b1nchnge

-
-
+
+


Während der vergangenen 4 Wochen:

In the past four weeks:


2.

Wie häufig hat X von sich aus Kontakt mit Ihnen aufgenommen?

How often did X get into contact with you on his /her own initiative?

-

b3vonx
+
+
+

3.

Wie häufig haben Sie Kontakt mit X aufgenommen?

How often did you get into contact with X?

-

b3vonst
+
+
+

4.

Wenn Sie nun einmal die Beziehungen, die Sie heute haben, mit denen vergleichen, die Sie vor fünf Jahren hatten. Würden Sie sagen, die Anzahl Ihrer Beziehungen hat sich vermehrt, hat sich vermindert oder ist etwa gleich geblieben?

Compared to five years ago, has your network increased, decreased, or remained about the same? *

b1iquant

-
-
-
-

5.

Verglichen mit der Zeit vor fünf Jahren, würden Sie sagen, daß Ihnen Ihre Beziehungen zu Ihrer Familie heute wichtiger, weniger wichtig oder genauso wichtig sind wie damals?

Compared to five years ago, has your network (in BASE: relationships with your family) become more important to you, less important or remained about the same? *

b1ifamw

-
-
-
-

6.

Und wie ist es mit Ihren Freunden und Bekannten, würden Sie sagen, daß Ihnen Ihre Beziehungen zu Ihren Freunden und Bekannten heute wichtiger, weniger wichtig oder genauso wichtig sind wie vor fünf Jahren?

And what about your friends and acquaintances, would you say that the relationships to friends and acquaintances are now more important, less important or just as important as then?

b1ifrdw

-
-
-
-

7.

Denken Sie einmal an Leute in Ihrem Alter. Würden Sie sagen, Sie haben mehr oder weniger oder in etwa ebenso viele Kontakte wie andere Leute in Ihrem Alter?

Think about people of your own age. Would you say that you have more, less or just as many contacts as other people of your age?

b1svp

-
-
-
-

8.

Hat sich Ihr Leben, seitdem die Mauer am 9. November 1989 geöffnet wurde, verändert?

Has your life changed since the Berlin Wall came down on November 9, 1989?

b1mauer

-
-
-
-

* Original items from the Social Networks in Adult Life Questionnaire (Kahn & Antonucci, 1980).

 

 

Relationships in Review

 

 

Relationships in Review:
General Information

When?

Time 1

Time 2

Time 3

Time 4

Time 5

Time 6

Time 7

Where?
Intensive Protocol
(IP)

 -

 -

-
-

-
-

Questionnaire
IP:
Social relationships
-
-
-
-

-
-

SIR Data bank

IP:
Psycho
rec/table 1 (P1data)
rec/table 2 (P1const)

 -

 -

 -
-

-
-

Relationships in review: Participants were asked single questions concerning (a) the important persons in their lives, (b) persons who disappointed them, (c) valued persons, and (d) the actual relationship to their children. Except for (d) which was an open-ended question, participants were asked to name the persons in question. The persons mentioned were coded in terms of type of relationship.

Literature: Smith & Baltes, 1996; Wagner, Schütze & Lang, 1996; Schütze & Lang, 1993.

 

 

Relationships in Review:
Items used in BASE

BASE items / variables

English translation

Important persons

Denken Sie einmal an alle die Menschen, die in Ihrem Leben eine große Rolle gespielt haben. Wer waren die Menschen, die in Ihrem Leben am wichtigsten waren?

When you think of all the people who played a major role in your life, which do you think were most important to you?

Disappointments

Jeder erlebt auch Enttäuschungen mit den Menschen, mit denen er zu tun hat. Können Sie mir sagen, wer Sie in ihrem Leben schwer enttäuscht hat?

Everybody is at times disappointed by the people they interact with. Can you tell me who has deeply disappointed you in your life?

Valued persons

Und gibt es Menschen, an die Sie besonders gerne denken?

Is there anyone you particularly like to think about?

 

 

Relationships in Review:
Raw Constructs Created in BASE

Constructs

Construct names
Time 1

Important persons in review:
Number of ... mentioned

Total number of all persons mentioned

b1wich

partner

b1wichlg

children

b1wichki

parents

b1wichel

siblings

b1wichgs

other relatives

b1wichsf

non-relatives

b1wichnv

friends

b1wichfr

Disappointing persons in review:
Number of ... mentioned

Total number of all persons mentioned

b1ent

Types of relationship:
Number of disappointing... mentioned

partner

b1entlg

children

b1entki

parents

b1entel

siblings

b1entgs

other relatives

b1entsf

non-relatives

b1entnv

friends

b1entfr

Valued persons in review:
Number of valued ... mentioned

Total number of all persons mentioned

b1gern

Types of relationship:
Number of ... mentioned

partner

b1gernlg

children

b1gernki

parents

b1gernel

siblings

b1gerngs

other relatives

b1gernsf

non-relatives

b1gernnv

friends

b1gernfr