Partners and Ex-Partners

Of all the surveyed anchor persons in both samples mentioned above who have a partner, their partners are also asked to participate in their own survey. Their interview is shorter than that of the anchor persons. The questions asked of the partners mainly reflect responses that the anchors have also given: for example, about the desire to have children or the division of labour in the household. In this way, dyadic analyses are made possible. Only by linking the data of anchors and their partners is the information available that is necessary to understand joint couple decisions.

In addition, former partners are surveyed in the first year after a separation. In these interviews, information on the cause and progression of the separation is collected. These data can also be linked with those of the anchor person for dyadic analyses.