Table 3.

Growth Curve Models of Age-Related Change in Well-Being: The Role of Birth-Year Cohort and the Covariates.

	HRS (Depressive Affect)		SOEP (Life Satisfaction)
	Lower levels = higher well-being		Higher levels = higher well-being
Parameter	Estimate	SE	Estimate	SE
Fixed effects
Intercept a, γ00	50.31*	0.14	49.26*	0.19
Age, γ10	0.15*	0.04	−0.14*	0.06
Age2, γ20	0.02*	0.01	−0.01	0.01
Birth-year cohort, γ01	−1.08*	0.24	0.70*	0.33
Gender, γ02	1.70*	0.20	−0.34	0.27
Education (in years), γ03	−0.60*	0.03	0.44*	0.05
Number of observations, γ04	−0.79*	0.16	−0.06	0.10
Health problems b, γ05	1.99*	0.08	−4.46*	0.28
Birth-year cohort × Age, γ11	0.02	0.05	0.15*	0.07
Gender × Age, γ12	−0.01	0.04	−0.02	0.05
Education × Age, γ13	0.00	0.01	0.01	0.01
Number of observations × Age, γ14	−0.05	0.04	−0.06*	0.02
Health problems × Age, γ15	−0.01	0.02	−0.17*	0.06
Random effects
Variance intercept, σ2u0	45.48*	1.19	59.56*	1.74
Variance age, σ2u1	0.40*	0.05	0.86*	0.06
Covariance intercept, age, σu0u1	1.13*	0.18	2.24*	0.25
Residual variance, σ2e	40.77*	0.55	38.48*	0.43

Note. Well-being score standardized to a T metric (M = 50, SD = 10) based on cross-sectional data at T1. Unstandardized estimates and standard errors are presented. Boldface type highlights cohort differences in well-being change. All covariates were effect coded/centered. Parameter estimates indicate the average trajectory and the extent of differences of a particular covariate. Health problems were indicated by the number of health conditions in the HRS and by the presence of disability in SOEP. Positive parameters indicate differences favoring later-born participants, women, participants with higher education, those who provided more observations, and those suffering more from health problems. HRS: Cohort = earlier-born (1930 –1939; n = 3,999) versus later-born (1940 – 1947; n = 3,999). SOEP: Cohort = earlier-born (1930 –1939; n = 2,712) versus later-born (1940 – 1946; n = 2,712).

^aIntercept is centered at age 70 years.

^bHealth problems were indicated by the number of health conditions in the HRS and by the presence of disability in SOEP.

^*p < .05.