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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

Team

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):

Einsamkeit im Alter: die geografische und psychosoziale Perspektive.

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):

Datenreport 2021. Ein Sozialbericht für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland.

Reihe Zeitbilder. Bonn: Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung.

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

Vom Ruhestand zu (Un-)Ruheständen. Ergebnisse der Studie „Transitions and Old Age Potential“ (TOP) von 2013 bis 2019.

Wiesbaden: Bundesinstitut für Bevölkerungsforschung.

Bundesinstitut für Bevölkerungsforschung (Ed.) (2020):

Gemeinsam in die Rente? Ruhestand als Projekt für Zweiverdienerpaare.

Policy Brief, Juni 2020.

Lippke, Sonia; Cihlar, Volker (2020):

Social Participation during the Transition to Retirement: Findings on Work, Health and Physical Activity beyond Retirement from an Interview Study over the Course of 3 Years.

Activities, Adaptation & Aging 45(2): 135–158.

Micheel, Frank (2021):

The intention to paid and/or unpaid activities in retirement. A study of older workers in Germany.

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

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

Grenzgänge zwischen Erwerbsarbeit und Ruhestand. Prozesse der Arbeitsmarktbeteiligung älterer Menschen.

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

More Publications

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

Productive activity patterns among 60–70-year-old retirees in Germany.

Ageing and Society 39(6): 1122–1151.

Mergenthaler, Andreas; Cihlar, Volker (2018):

Bridge Employment and Marital Quality in Germany. Different Implications for Men and Women?

Ageing International 43(3): 336–355.

Mergenthaler, Andreas (2018):

Kontinuierliche Diskontinuität? Beschäftigungsstabilität im ehemaligen Beruf und Erwerbstätigkeit jenseits der Regelaltersgrenze.

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

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

Die Lebensgestaltung im Un-Ruhestand: Einordnung und empirische Schlaglichter.

Bevölkerungsforschung Aktuell 6/2018: 2–12.

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

„Der Geist ist willig, aber …“ – Was Menschen daran hindert, im Ruhestand zu arbeiten.

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

Cihlar, Volker; Lippke, Sonia (2017):

Physical Activity Behavior and Competing Activities. Interrelations in 55-to-70-Year-Old Germans.

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

Micheel, Frank (2017):

Arbeitsmarktbezogene Ungleichheiten und subjektive Belastung beim Übergang in den Ruhestand.

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

Micheel, Frank (2017):

Bürgerschaftliches Engagement und Engagementpotenziale von 55- bis 70-Jährigen in Deutschland.

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

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

The changing nature of (un-)retirement in Germany: living conditions, activities and life phases of older adults in transition.

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

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

„Der Geist ist willig, aber …“ – Was Menschen daran hindert, im Ruhestand zu arbeiten.

Bevölkerungsforschung Aktuell 6/2017: 2–9.

Cihlar, Volker; Mergenthaler, Andreas (2016):

Der Einfluss formeller und informeller Tätigkeiten auf die Qualität privater Beziehungen nach dem Übergang in den Ruhestand.

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

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

Mittendrin? Lebenspläne und Potenziale älterer Menschen beim Übergang in den Ruhestand.

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