Social Indicators Research (SOC INDIC RES)

Publications in this journal

• Article: Sociality in Diverse Societies: A Regional Analysis Across European Countries.

  Ferry Koster
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  ABSTRACT: For a long time, researchers investigate the impact of diversity on society. To measure diversity, either archival data at the national level of census data at the neighborhood level, within a single country are used. Both approaches are limited. The first approach does not allow to investigate variation in diversity within countries and the second approach misses the possibility to investigate cross national differences. The present study aims at bringing these two approaches closer together by constructing diversity measures based on the European Social Survey (ESS). The ESS is collected every 2 years since 2002 and includes individual level data that allow replicating earlier measures of ethnic, linguistic, and religious diversity for 30 European countries. Furthermore, since respondents are asked to indicate in what region they live, measured with the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics classification, it is possible to construct disaggregated measures. Comparing the new indicators with existing diversity scores leads to the following conclusions. First, the new and old measures are strongly correlated at the national level. Secondly, investigating the relationship between diversity and different kinds of sociality (interpersonal trust, institutional trust, and support for government redistribution) shows that regional diversity is more strongly related to them than diversity at the national level.
  Social Indicators Research 04/2013; 111(2):579-601.
• Article: Convergent and Discriminant validity of the WHOQOL-BREF Using a Multitrait-Multimethod Approach

  Yu-Yu Hsiao, Chia-huei Wu, Grace Yao
  Social Indicators Research 03/2013;
• Article: The Diffusion of IT in the Historical Context of Innovations from Developed Countries.

  Jeffrey James
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  ABSTRACT: The well-known s-shaped diffusion of technology curve generally works well in developed countries. But how does it perform in the very different context of developing countries? Across a wide range of new technologies imported from the developed countries it works poorly. In most cases the penetration rate fails to reach 25% of the population. The reason for this as I see it has to do with the concentration of innovations in the rich countries and the devotion of R&D to rich rather than poor country problems. I redrew the s-shaped curve to reflect these facts. At the other extreme, however, are technologies such as the mobile phone, which have reached a penetration rate in some developing countries that is higher than in certain developed countries. The underlying reason for this unusual experience is thought to be leapfrogging, the conditions for which are especially favourable in the case of mobile phones. Therefore there is a need to redraw the curve that explains the diffusion of most new technologies in developing countries.
  Social Indicators Research 03/2013; 111(1):175-184.
• Article: Political Regime and Human Capital: A Cross-Country Analysis.

  Jeroen Klomp, Jakob de Haan
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  ABSTRACT: We examine the relationship between different dimensions of the political regime in place and human capital using a two-step structural equation model. In the first step, we employ factor analysis on 16 human capital indicators to construct two new human capital measures (basic and advanced human capital). In the second step, we estimate the impact of our political variables on human capital, using a cross-sectional structural model for some 100 countries. We conclude that democracy is positively related to basic human capital, while regime instability has a negative link with basic human capital. Governance has a positive relationship with advanced human capital, while government instability has a negative link with advanced human capital. Finally, we also find an indirect positive effect of governance and democracy on both types of human capital through their effect on income. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11205-011-9983-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
  Social Indicators Research 03/2013; 111(1):45-73.
• Article: “The impact of different types of resource transfers on individual wellbeing: an analysis of quality of life using CASP-12”

  Victoria Ateca-Amestoy & Arantza Ugidos
  Social Indicators Research 02/2013; 110(3):973—991.
• Article: Psychometric Properties of the Medical Outcome Study Social Support Survey with a General Population Sample of Undergraduate Students

  Barbara Giangrasso, Silvia Casale
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  ABSTRACT: Among non-clinical populations, perceived social support is an important factor in health maintenance and well-being. Among measures that purport to assess perceived social support, the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS) is based on a strong conceptual framework and has been subjected to a rigorous psychometric evaluation. Since no studies have investigated its psychometric properties with a young, non-clinical population, the purpose of this study is to investigate the psychometric properties (construct validity, internal consistency, and test–retest reliability) of an Italian version of the MOS-SSS with a non-clinical population sample. A convenience sample of 485 undergraduate students (73.0 % female; mean age = 21.81 ± 1.52) has been recruited. With regards to scale dimensionality, the best fit measurement model found support for the four subscales proposed by the original version: emotional and informational support, tangible support, positive social interactions, and affectionate support (χ 2/df = 4.49; CFI = .92; TLI = .91; RMSEA = .08). MOS-SSS subscales showed good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha for the subscales ranged from .848 to .939). Significant correlations were found with measures of psychological well-being (Ryff’s Scales of Psychological Well-Being) and depression (Beck-Depression Inventory-II). Test–retest stability was tested by examining a subsample (N = 225) over a 10-week period (correlation coefficients for the subscales ranged from .502 to .579). The findings suggest that MOS-SSS presents good psychometric characteristics with a young general population sample. Therefore, the MOS-SSS seems to be a psychometrically sound measure for the evaluation of perceived social support among young non-clinical populations.
  Social Indicators Research 02/2013;
• Article: Detecting Unobserved Heterogeneity in the Relationship Between Subjective Well-Being and Satisfaction in Various Domains of Life Using the REBUS-PLS Path Modelling Approach: A Case Study

  Luca Zanin
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  ABSTRACT: In this article, we propose a model to estimate the direct and indirect effects of the relationship between subjective well-being and satisfaction in various domains of life using a partial least squares path modelling approach in a structural equation model framework. A drawback of these models is that they assume homogeneous behaviour over the observed set of units. To address this issue, Trinchera (Ph.D. thesis, University of Naples, 2007) and Esposito Vinzi etal. (Appl Stoch Models Bus Ind 28:439–458, 2008) proposed an algorithm, called the response-based unit segmentation in partial least squares (REBUS-PLS) path modelling, to detect sources of heterogeneity in both measurement and structural models. The REBUS-PLS allows researchers to identify classes of units with similar behaviours (with respect to the postulated model) and to estimate one model for each identified class (so-called ‘local models’). Applying the REBUS-PLS algorithm to our case study, we detected three main classes of units with similar behaviours and estimated three local models. We found, for example, that in the estimated model for the entire sample, the relationship between satisfaction with family and social life and subjective well-being is statistically significant. However, this result was not confirmed in all of the estimated local models. KeywordsPLS path modelling–REBUS-PLS–Satisfaction in various domains of life–Subjective well-being–Unobserved heterogeneity
  Social Indicators Research 02/2013; 110(1):281-304.
• Article: Flourishing Across Europe: Application of a New Conceptual Framework for Defining Well-Being.

  Felicia A Huppert, Timothy T C So
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  ABSTRACT: Governments around the world are recognising the importance of measuring subjective well-being as an indicator of progress. But how should well-being be measured? A conceptual framework is offered which equates high well-being with positive mental health. Well-being is seen as lying at the opposite end of a spectrum to the common mental disorders (depression, anxiety). By examining internationally agreed criteria for depression and anxiety (DSM and ICD classifications), and defining the opposite of each symptom, we identify ten features of positive well-being. These combine feeling and functioning, i.e. hedonic and eudaimonic aspects of well-being: competence, emotional stability, engagement, meaning, optimism, positive emotion, positive relationships, resilience, self esteem, and vitality. An operational definition of flourishing is developed, based on psychometric analysis of indicators of these ten features, using data from a representative sample of 43,000 Europeans. Application of this definition to respondents from the 23 countries which participated in the European Social Survey (Round 3) reveals a four-fold difference in flourishing rate, from 41% in Denmark to less than 10% in Slovakia, Russia and Portugal. There are also striking differences in country profiles across the 10 features. These profiles offer fresh insight into cultural differences in well-being, and indicate which features may provide the most promising targets for policies to improve well-being. Comparison with a life satisfaction measure shows that valuable information would be lost if well-being was measured by life satisfaction. Taken together, our findings reinforce the need to measure subjective well-being as a multi-dimensional construct in future surveys.
  Social Indicators Research 02/2013; 110(3):837-861.
• Article: Popular Criteria for the Welfare Deservingness of Disability Pensioners: The Influence of Structural and Cultural Factors.

  Marjolein Jeene, Wim van Oorschot, Wilfred Uunk
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  ABSTRACT: Research has shown that several criteria underlie people's opinions about the welfare deservingness of benefit recipients. However, it remains unknown which factors are associated with the emphasis that people place on such criteria. Using a 2006 Dutch national survey on the welfare deservingness of disability pension recipients, we study the influence of structural and cultural factors on people's emphasis on three deservingness criteria: control, need, and reciprocity. OLS regression analyses show that people's emphasis on specific deservingness criteria is strengthened by structural factors that indicate the possibility of resource competition such as the following: age, lower levels of education, unemployment, and lower income. However, actual personal experience with receiving welfare benefits weakens criteria emphasis. Cultural factors such as the espousal of views from the political right and the possession of a strong work ethic are associated with a heightened emphasis on deservingness criteria.
  Social Indicators Research 02/2013; 110(3):1103-1117.
• Article: Youth Future Civic Participation in Europe: Differences Between the East and the Rest

  Plamen Mirazchiyski, Daniel H. Caro, Andrés Sandoval-Hernández
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  ABSTRACT: European countries were economically and politically separated during the Cold War, but since its end processes of globalization and the formation of the European Union have contributed to blur the borders. Previous studies suggest that the social transformations have affected differently civic participation of youths, but shortage of more recent data has precluded researchers from examining the differences in a country-comparative fashion. Along these lines, this paper has two main objectives: to explore the differences in the levels of expected civic participation across Europe, and to evaluate the fit of a theoretical model of civic participation in regard to the different points in time their democracies were established. To achieve these goals, data from 22 European educational systems (9 post-communist and 13 established democracies) participating in the International Civic and Citizenship Study (2009) conducted by International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement is used. The results, in accordance with the literature, suggest differentiated patterns of future civic participation between the new and established democracies, but they are not that clear, suggesting that convergence between the two groups is ongoing. However, the tested empirical model of civic participation functions in a better way in the established than in the new democracies. In contrast with previous findings, differences in levels of expected civic participation seem to be related not only with the countries’ experience with democracy, but also with their cultural similarities and common history.
  Social Indicators Research 01/2013;
• Article: Cross-National Differences in the Association Between Parental Work Hours and Time with Children in Europe: A Multilevel Analysis.

  Anne Roeters
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  ABSTRACT: This study investigates cross-national differences in the association between parental work hours and parent-child interaction time and explains differences in this individual-level association on the basis of country characteristics. It extends prior research by testing the moderating effects of country characteristics through multilevel analyses and by considering the possibility of selection effects. The presumption was that parents employ strategies to protect family life from work encroachments and that these strategies are enhanced by reconciliation policies, stronger parenthood ideologies, access to part-time work and higher income levels. Multilevel analyses were based on a subset of 5.183 parents in 23 countries from the 2005 European Working Conditions Survey that was complemented with country-level data. The negative association between parental work hours and parent-child time indeed varied significantly across countries and was weaker in countries where formal child care coverage was higher, part-time work was less prevalent, and earnings were lower. The effects of part-time work and earnings mainly applied to mothers. These findings suggest that child care coverage limits the availability of children and that differences in parent-child time between parents who work short and long hours are more pronounced when part-time work is more accessible and affordable.
  Social Indicators Research 01/2013; 110(2):637-658.
• Article: The influence of perceived control on subjective wellbeing in later life

  S. de Quadros-Wander, J. McGillivray, J. Broadbent
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  ABSTRACT: It has been proposed that a sense of control (primary control) is critical to maintaining positive and stable subjective wellbeing (SWB). As people age and control capacity presumably declines (due to physical and cognitive deterioration and increased sociocultural challenges), it is argued that the influence of secondary perceived control (or acceptance) increases to help maintain normative levels of SWB. While previous studies have typically investigated the relationship between perceived control and global estimates of satisfaction (i.e., overall life satisfaction), the present study evaluated the link between perceived control and seven key domains of satisfaction in order to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the control-satisfaction relationship. A community-based sample of 1,317 individuals (age range: 17–92 years) was utilised to examine potential age-related differences in perceived control (primary and secondary) and satisfaction. Findings revealed that primary and secondary perceived control both increased across age, with secondary perceived control increasing at a higher rate. Primary perceived control had predictive primacy for satisfaction over secondary perceived control (consistent with theory). A moderated mediation effect was also found, suggesting that, in later life, secondary perceived control influences primary perceived control and, in turn, influences satisfaction with various domains. Therefore, while primary control is important to wellbeing, it should be acknowledged that secondary perceived control may have unique significance to the wellbeing of older adults.
  Social Indicators Research 01/2013;
• Article: Motives for Being Temporary Agency Worker: Validity Study of One Measure According to The Self-Determination Theory

  Sílvia Lopes, Maria José Chambel
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  ABSTRACT: Although the importance of studying motivations is recognized, research about this subject, specifically addressing temporary agency workers (TAWs), has been limited and exploratory. In addition, the few existing studies are not theoretically robust. The present study focuses on the validity of one measure constructed to assess motivations of TAWs according to the Self-determination Theory (SDT), with a sample of 1,325 participants originating from the industry and services sectors in Portugal. Several statistical procedures were performed, namely the exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and the convergent and discriminant analysis that includes examining the convergent and discriminant the factors validity of the proper measure conceptualized, as well as, the validity of this measure in relation with other constructs. The implications of these results are discussed ahead. Generally, they suggest the applicability of this measure to analyze in a more complex way the motivations for being TAW and the validity of this instrument to observe the relations between these motivations with workers well-being. Keywords: Temporary agency workers; Motivations; Self-determination theory; Validity
  Social Indicators Research 01/2013;
• Article: Invariance testing of the SF-36 Health Survey in women breast cancer survivors: Do personal and cancer-related variables influence the meaning of quality of life items?

  Amber Mosewich, Valerie Hadd, Peter Crocker, Bruno D. Zumbo
  Social Indicators Research 01/2013; 110:559-577.
• Article: Household and Context Determinants of Child Labor in 221 Districts of 18 Developing Countries.

  Ellen Webbink, Jeroen Smits, Eelke de Jong
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  ABSTRACT: We develop a new theoretical framework that explains the engagement in child labor of children in developing countries. This framework distinguishes three levels (household, district and nation) and three groups of explanatory variables: Resources, Structure and Culture. Each of the three groups refers to another strand of the literature; economics, sociology and anthropology. The framework is tested by applying multilevel analysis on data for 239,120 children living in 221 districts of 18 developing countries. This approach allows us to simultaneously investigate effects of household and context factors. At the household level, we find that resources and structural characteristics influence child labor, whereas cultural characteristics have no effect. With regard to context factors, we find that children work more in rural areas, especially if there are more unskilled manual jobs, and in more traditional urban areas. In more developed regions, girls tend to work significantly less.
  Social Indicators Research 01/2013; 110(2):819-836.