Federal Institute for Population Research

Transitions and Old Age Potential (TOP)

Content and Objectives

In 2019, the third wave of the study Transitions and Old Age Potential (TOP) was completed. In addition to the repeated interviewing of some of those who had already participated in the study in the previous waves, partners were also interviewed. The aim of this supplementary survey was to gain insights into retirement transition in a couple context, focusing on the phenomenon of joint retirement. The initial results were published in June 2020 in the form of a brochure and a policy brief and presented at a press conference. Another publication was the methodological report on the third wave in German and English. In 2021, the focus will be on the final editing and submission of the scientific articles from TOP in peer-reviewed journals. The archiving of the third wave of TOP as a scientific use file at GESIS is planned for October 2021. This step will conclude the TOP study.

Data and Methods

Within the framework of the third wave of the TOP study, 1,561 persons could be interviewed for the second time. With regard to the partners of these persons, a gross sample of 832 persons resulted after completion of the last address and panel maintenance of the year 2017/2018. After completion of the field phase of the third wave, 576 complete interviews were available at the couple level. The TOP study thus comprises two data sets after the completion of the third wave:

  • the panel data set comprising the persons who had participated in the study on all three survey dates (2013, 2015/2016 and 2019) (1,561 persons) as well as
  • the couple sample with the information provided by the anchors (with current partner from the third survey wave) and the partners from 2019 (576 couple interviews).

In addition to the data from TOP, other studies are also used for the scientific articles, such as the German Ageing Survey (DEAS), the German Volunteer Survey (FWS) and the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE).

Duration

01/2011–12/2021

Partners

Prof. Dr. Ursula M. Staudinger
Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, New York, USA

Prof. Dr. Sonia Lippke
Jacobs Center on Lifelong Learning and Institutional Development
Jacobs University Bremen, Germany

Prof. Dr. Stephan Lessenich
Department of Sociology
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany

Selected Publications

Cihlar, Volker; Reinwarth, Anna; Lippke, Sonia (2022):

In: Teti, Andrea; Nowossadeck, Enno; Fuchs, Judith; Künemund, Harald (Eds.): Wohnen und Gesundheit im Alter. Vechtaer Beiträge zur Gerontologie. Wiesbaden: Springer VS: 55–75. [begutachtet]

Statistisches Bundesamt; Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung; Bundesinstitut für Bevölkerungsforschung (Eds.) (2021):

Reihe Zeitbilder. Bonn: Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung.

Mergenthaler, Andreas; Konzelmann, Laura; Cihlar, Volker; Micheel, Frank; Schneider, Norbert F. (2020):

Wiesbaden: Bundesinstitut für Bevölkerungsforschung.

Bundesinstitut für Bevölkerungsforschung (Ed.) (2020):

Policy Brief, Juni 2020.

Micheel, Frank (2021):

Journal of Aging & Social Policy 33,2: 101–119.

Cihlar, Volker; Micheel, Frank; Konzelmann, Laura; Mergenthaler, Andreas; Schneider, Norbert F. (2019):

Beiträge zur Bevölkerungswissenschaft 53. Opladen, Berlin, Toronto: Barbara Budrich.

More Publications

Mergenthaler, Andreas; Sackreuther, Ines; Staudinger, Ursula M. (2019):

Ageing and Society 39(6): 1122–1151.

Mergenthaler, Andreas; Cihlar, Volker (2018):

Ageing International 43(3): 336–355.

Mergenthaler, Andreas (2018):

In: Scherger, Simone; Vogel, Claudia (Eds.): Arbeit im Alter. : Springer VS: 125–147.

Micheel, Frank; Cihlar, Volker; Konzelmann, Laura; Zins, Stefanie (2018):

Bevölkerungsforschung Aktuell 6/2018: 2–12.

Micheel, Frank; Cihlar, Volker; Riedl, Sabine (2018):

ProAlter 2/2018: 34–40 [Erstabdruck des gleichnamigen Artikels in Bevölkerungsforschung Aktuell 6/2017].

Cihlar, Volker; Lippke, Sonia (2017):

Journal of Aging and Physical Activity 25(4): 576–586.

Micheel, Frank (2017):

In: Mayer, Tilman (Ed.): Die transformative Macht der Demografie. Wiesbaden: Springer VS: 187–205.

Micheel, Frank (2017):

Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie 50(2): 134–144.

Mergenthaler, Andres; Cihlar, Volker; Micheel, Frank; Sackreuther, Ines (2017):

BiB Working Paper 3/2017. Wiesbaden: Bundesinstitut für Bevölkerungsforschung.

Micheel, Frank; Cihlar, Volker; Riedl, Sabine (2017):

Bevölkerungsforschung Aktuell 6/2017: 2–9.

Cihlar, Volker; Mergenthaler, Andreas (2016):

Zeitschrift für Familienforschung 28(3): 357–380.

Schneider, Norbert F.; Mergenthaler, Andreas; Staudinger, Ursula M.; Sackreuther, Ines (Eds.) (2015):

Beiträge zur Bevölkerungswissenschaft 47. Opladen, Berlin, Toronto: Barbara Budrich.

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