published in: Sociological Methods and Research, 2006, 34 (4), 427-468
A particular shortcoming of panel surveys is potential bias arising from selective attrition.
Based on data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP) we analyze potential
artifacts (level, structure, inequality of income) by comparing results from two independently
drawn panel sub-samples, started in 1984 and 2000, respectively. Both sub-samples carried
on using the same set of follow-up rules. We apply ANOGI (ANalysis Of GIni) techniques, the
equivalent of ANOVA (ANalysis Of VAriance) performed on the basis of the Gini coefficient.
The decomposition followed is presented in Yitzhaki (1994). We rearrange, reinterpret and
use the decomposition in the comparison of sub-populations from which the different subsamples
were drawn. Taking into account indicators for income, and for control purposes
those for education and satisfaction as well, significant differences between these two subsamples
with respect to (income) inequality are found in the first year, which start to fade
away in wave 2 and disappear in wave 3. We find credible indication for these differences to
be driven by changes in response behavior of short term panel members rather than by
attrition among members of the longer running sub-sample.
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