3. Mills Longitudinal Study - Age 43 Assessment

In 1981, the third assessment of the Mills Longitudinal Study was conducted, when the participants’ approximate age was 43. For this assessment, all questionnaires and inventories were completed by mail. Initially, a general demographics form was sent out, along with a request to participate in subsequent testing. As a result, more of these demographics forms (known as the “White Sheets”) were completed than any of the other questionnaires. In order to develop the remaining questionnaires, interviews were conducted with a few participants who were thought to be representative of the larger sample. These interviews took place before the questionnaires were formulated in order to get a better sense of what types of questions to ask the full sample of participants. A variety of questionnaires were developed (covering topics such as marriage, divorce, work, health, friendships, and parents) and then mailed to all of the participants along with several personality inventories, including the CPI, ACL, and MBTI. Questionnaire packets were customized for each participant based on relationship and parenting status.