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Study Name: Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID)
Study Director: Frank P. Stafford
Principal Investigators: Sandra Hofferth, Hiromi Ono and Jean Yeung
Host Organization: Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan
Year Initiated: 1968
- Funding sources
The National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Aging (one of the National Institutes of Health) primarily fund the core activities of the PSID. Additional funding to support specific question domains is provided by the US Department of Health and Human Services, the US Department of Agriculture and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Private foundations have occasionally provided funding.
- Host organization
The study is conducted by the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan.
-Governing body and role of external research advisors
In 1984, the main funder, the National Science Foundation, appointed members to a newly formed Board of Overseers. The 9-15 Board members serve a maximum of two three-year terms and nominate their own replacement members to maintain a balance of representation among stakeholders of PSID in various fields (economics, sociology and methodology). Funding agency project officers are invited to attend the semi-annual meetings of the Board as nonvoting participants.
- Sample selection
The PSID sample, originating in 1968, consisted of two independent samples: a cross-sectional national sample and a national sample of low-income families. The cross-sectional sample was an equal probability sample of households from the 48 contiguous states and was designated to yield about 3,000 completed interviews. The second sample consisted of about 2,000 low-income families with heads under the age of sixty drawn from the Survey of Economic Opportunity respondents located in Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas (SMSA's) in the North and non-SMSA's in the South.
In 1990, we added 2,000 Latino households, including families originally from Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. But while this sample did represent three major groups of immigrants, it missed out on the full range of post-1968 immigrants, Asians in particular. Because of this crucial shortcoming, and a lack of sufficient funding, the Latino sample was dropped after 1995.
In 1997, in order to keep the study representative of the U.S. population, two major changes were made to the PSID sample: 1) a reduction of the core sample and 2) the introduction of a refresher sample of post 1968 immigrant families and their adult children. The original core sample was reduced from nearly 8,500 families in 1996 to approximately 6,168 in 1997 and a sample of 441 immigrant families was added in 1997. The sample so refreshed was 6,434 for 1999 and is projected to grow to almost 7,400 in 2005.
-Follow rules
The families of individuals that have blood ties to “sample” families are interviewed.
-Oversampling
Oversampling of low-income families through the Survey of Economic Opportunity sample discussed above.
-Weights and attrition bias
The sample is re-weighted every wave.
-Sample “refreshing”
The 1990 Latino and 1997 post-1968 immigrant family refreshers are discussed above.
-Driving policy needs
-Research objectives (maintaining coherence of content domains)
-Benefits of international comparability
-Content decisions (income, wealth, health, employment, family history and data linking)
-Tradeoffs between continuity and the incentives for new directions
-Mode
The PSID was collected in face-to-face interviews using paper and pencil questionnaires between 1968 and 1972. Thereafter, the majority of interviews were conducted over the telephone. In 1993, the PSID introduced the use of computer assisted telephone interviewing. In the 1999 wave, 97.5% of the interviews were conducted over the phone.
-Instrument design (paper and pencil, CATI, EHC)
The study first used computer-assisted telephone interviewing in 1993. Now, all interviews are conducted using computer-based instruments.
-Dependent interviewing
Little. This is because who is interviewed can and does change from year to year based on blood line rules. There is preload of prior family composition.
-Calendar year, survey year and point of survey measures
Some of each, but mostly calendar year.
-Family composition editing
A new editing system is being developed that will greatly improve data editing processes, including family composition. The genealogical structure of the PSID and its complicated follow rules make family composition editing particularly important.
-Production of specialized files
A number of specialized files are available. They can be viewed at our web site (www.isr.umich.edu/src/psid).
-Data and documentation standards
-Dissemination techniques (CD, web)
Customized data sets can be downloaded from the PSID web site. Since 1996 over 30,000 such customized files have been delivered to the user community. Data sets are also available on CD through the University of Michigan Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research. Sensitive data files are available on CD after a contract for use has been established with the University of Michigan. We are hoping to eventually implement a system for encrypted online delivery of sensitive data files.
-Virtual data centers and functionalities
-Improving contractual use of data (confidentiality and encryption)
Currently receiving input from a number of user institutions about the provisions of the sensitive data contracts and possible improvements.
-Comparability of formats (evolution of data standards)
- Value of joint multinational analysis projects
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