Life Course 1971-2002

This longitudinal study covered the impact of ability (intelligence), social background and educational achievement on a person's life course (life history). In the early 1970s, the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities (ITPA) was used to test the verbal intelligence of Finnish children aged 3-9. The test included 12 subtests which measured decoding, processing and encoding of auditory and visual information, and auditory and visual short-term memory. In the 1980s, data were collected on the research subjects' school achievement and performance, and educational choices after lower secondary education. A survey conducted in 1991 studied educational and occupational career, housing, couple and family relationships, income, health, hobbies, etc. Further questions covered satisfaction with life and work, happiness, loneliness, life control, whether the subjects felt they had achieved their goals, etc. In 2002, when the research subjects were approaching middle age, another survey was conducted. Many of the questions presented in 1991 were repeated. Leisure time activities were studied in more detail. New themes included factors influencing people's choices in life, and what brings security or insecurity to life. In addition, register data on the subjects' education and occupation were gathered. Background variables included, among others, the research subject's year and month of birth, gender, number of siblings, basic and vocational education, occupational status, employer, economic activity, net monthly income, social relationships, number of children, type of accommodation, place of residence, and furthermore the level of education, vocational education, gross annual income, and socioeconomic status of the parents.

本纵向研究探讨了能力（智力）、社会背景与教育成就对个人生活历程（生活史）的影响。在20世纪70年代初，通过伊利诺伊心理语言学能力测试（ITPA）对芬兰3至9岁儿童的言语智力进行了评估。该测试包含12个子测试，用于衡量对听觉和视觉信息的解码、处理和编码，以及听觉和视觉短期记忆。在20世纪80年代，对研究对象的学业成就和表现，以及初中后教育选择的数据进行了收集。1991年进行的一项调查研究了教育职业生涯、住房、夫妻和家庭关系、收入、健康状况、兴趣爱好等。进一步的问题涵盖了生活和工作满意度、幸福感、孤独感、生活控制感，以及研究对象是否认为他们实现了自己的目标等。到了2002年，当研究对象步入中年之际，又进行了一次调查。其中许多问题与1991年的调查重复。对休闲时间活动进行了更详细的探讨。新主题包括影响人们生活选择的因素，以及什么带来了生活的安全感或不安感。此外，还收集了研究对象的教育和职业登记数据。背景变量包括研究对象的出生年月、性别、兄弟姐妹数量、基础教育和职业教育、职业状况、雇主、经济活动、净月收入、社会关系、子女数量、住宿类型、居住地，以及教育水平、职业教育、毛年收入和父母的社经地位等。