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Questions on the pay period variables and the serial 7 subtraction test

Added by Heinrich Kögel over 7 years ago. Updated about 7 years ago.

Status:
Closed
Priority:
High
Category:
Data analysis
Start date:
12/12/2016
% Done:

100%


Description

Dear Sir or Madam,

I would like to ask you the following questions concerning variables in wave 3 of Understanding Society.

My first set of questions is on the two variables c_paygwc (pay period: gross pay) and c_paynwc (pay period: take-home pay).
The two variables contain the answers to the question "How long a period did that cover?" and refer to the interviewee's last gross payment and take-home pay, respectively. Both of these variables have a category labeled "calendar month". My questions would now be:

- What is the difference between the categories "calendar month" and "four weeks"?
- Does the answer "calendar month" give any information about when the payment that the two variables refer to occurred? For example, does "calendar month" imply that the respective payment occurred at the end of the calendar month?
- Is there any other information available regarding the date the last payment was received? For example, "the last payment occured on 5 December". If not publicly available, would there be any such information that researchers could get access to under certain conditions?

My second set of questions concerns the cognitive test "Serial 7 Subtraction" in wave 3. In the manual for the cognitive tests (Understanding Society: UK Household Longitudinal Study: Cognitive Ability Measures; 6614_wave3_cognitive_ability_measures_v1_1), it says on page 12: "There is an error in the first item of Set 2. ... We are conducting analyses to assess the effects of this error." My actual questions would now be:

- Despite the error, is it possible to combine the test results from the randomly assigned Set 1 and Set 2 in one variable? What would be the consequences of the error in Set 2? In the current version of the data set, Set 1 and Set 2 have not been combined as far as I am aware.

I would be very grateful for your help.

Thank you very much,
Heinrich

#1

Updated by Victoria Nolan over 7 years ago

  • Category set to Data analysis
  • Status changed from New to Feedback
  • Assignee set to Heinrich Kögel
  • % Done changed from 0 to 50
  • Private changed from Yes to No

Dear Heinrich,

Many thanks for your enquiry. I have passed on your questions about the cognitive ability measures to my colleagues who will be able to respond later in the week.

With regard to your income questions, please find the answers below:
- What is the difference between the categories "calendar month" and "four weeks"?
A calendar month is the period of time elapsing between a given date and the corresponding date of the next preceding month. So somebody being paid monthly would get 12 payments in a year but somebody being paid on a four weekly basis would get 52/4=13 payments. So the two periods refer to different amounts of time.

- Does the answer "calendar month" give any information about when the payment that the two variables refer to occurred? For example, does "calendar month" imply that the respective payment occurred at the end of the calendar month?
Its is not possible to ascertain when in the month the payment occurred.

- Is there any other information available regarding the date the last payment was received? For example, "the last payment occured on 5 December". If not publicly available, would there be any such information that researchers could get access to under certain conditions?
This information is not collected in Understanding Society.

We hope this helps - and I will be able to respond to your other query as soon as I hear back from my colleagues.

Best wishes, Victoria

On behalf of the Understanding Society Data User Support Team

#2

Updated by Victoria Nolan over 7 years ago

  • % Done changed from 50 to 90

Dear Heinrich,

Just to follow up on the cognitive ability query, if it's ok I will email you directly about this shortly.

Best wishes, Victoria.

#3

Updated by Victoria Nolan about 7 years ago

  • Status changed from Feedback to Closed
  • % Done changed from 90 to 100

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