Table 9 Odds ratio estimates of probability of being ‘very happy’: Panel logit models with random
effects, 1997–2006
Educational attainment measured Contemporaneously Ultimately
Model 1 Model 2 Model 3 Model 4
Independent variable Coeff. Prob. Coeff. Prob. Coeff. Prob. Coeff. Prob.
Male 0.83 0.00 0.83 0.00 0.80 0.00 0.77 0.00
NESB (1996) 0.84 0.04 0.84 0.04 0.85 0.06 0.77 0.03
Living status in 1997:
At home with both parents — — — —
At home, sole parent 0.74 0.00 0.74 0.00 0.76 0.00 0.74 0.00
Not living with parents 0.81 0.02 0.82 0.02 0.83 0.03 0.76 0.03
Wealth index (1996) 1.07 0.00 1.06 0.00 1.06 0.00 1.06 0.00
Personality traits (1997):
Extrovert 1.62 0.00 1.62 0.00 1.61 0.00 1.62 0.00
Calm 1.44 0.00 1.45 0.00 1.44 0.00 1.42 0.00
Test score quartiles (1995) 0.91 0.00 0.91 0.00 0.91 0.00 0.88 0.00
School performance (1995) 1.17 0.00 1.17 0.00 1.17 0.00 1.13 0.00
Marital status:
Single (never married) — — — —
Married 1.80 0.00 1.80 0.00 1.78 0.00 1.78 0.00
De facto 1.51 0.00 1.52 0.00 1.47 0.00 1.50 0.00
Divorced/widowed 0.83 0.43 0.85 0.49 0.88 0.59 0.83 0.43
Highest ed. attainment:
Year 11 or less 0.87 0.01 0.84 0.01 0.99 0.93
Year 12 or Yr 11 + cert. I/II — — —
Year 12 + cert. I/II 1.20 0.00 1.17 0.02 1.32 0.02
Apprenticeship or cert. III/IV 1.07 0.29 1.05 0.50 1.14 0.20
Diploma 1.14 0.12 1.09 0.32 1.29 0.03
Uni/postgrad. degree 0.98 0.75 0.92 0.10 1.15 0.06
Main activity:
At school 1.15 0.06
Apprenticeship 1.73 0.00
Traineeship 1.19 0.04
University 1.13 0.01
Other study 1.01 0.82
Working —
Working PT and studying PT 1.03 0.72
Looking for work 0.75 0.00
Not in the labour force 1.17 0.06
Working and in ‘career’ job 1.61 0.00
Observations 52 705 52 705 52 408 36 805
Individuals 7 620 7 620 7 619 3 777
Obs per individual:
Minimum 1 1 1 7
Average 6.9 6.9 6.9 9.7
Maximum 10 10 10 10
Wald chi2 1 409 0.00 1 427 0.00 1 651 0.00 844 0.00
Log likelihood -31 045 -31 035 -30 757 -21 223
Likelihood ratio test of ρ = 0 (χ2
)