German Surveys Research Articles

Opinion polarization of immigration and EU attitudes between social classes – the limiting role of working class dissensus

ABSTRACT This study examines polarization in political opinions toward immigration and the European Union between occupational classes, i.e. structural polarization. We maintain that two conditions must hold to indicate structural opinion polarization: high between-class divergence and high within-class consensus. Our main contribution is to study these two conditions systematically for a wide variety of immigration and EU-related topics. Using data from four high-quality German surveys spanning three decades, we document three main findings. First, we find substantial between-class divergence: respondents in typical working class occupations express substantially more unfavorable opinions about immigration and the EU than the upper classes across the majority of survey indicators. Second, however, we also observe considerable opinion heterogeneity within the working class. This lack of within-class consensus limits the potential of mobilizing the working class as a group on the basis of anti-immigration and anti-EU sentiments. Third, while we do not document durable increases in structural opinion polarization over time across most of our opinion indicators, we do draw attention to those individual indicators that show relatively high polarization. Overall, our results suggest limited opinion polarization between occupational classes on immigration and EU issues in Germany.

Stressful Living Conditions in Nuclear, Single Parent and Stepfamilies and Use of Prevention Services. Findings of Two Representative German Studies

Comparison of (stressful) living conditions and use of universal, selective and indicated prevention services in nuclear, single parent and stepfamilies with young children. Using two representative German surveys of mothers with children aged 0-3 years (KiD 0-3 2015, n=6,671, and AID:A 2019, n=1,501), mothers' reported burden and the use of various prevention services in different family types were examined descriptively and with Chi²-tests. Overall, single parent families and, to some extent, stepfamilies showed increased socioeconomic stress compared to nuclear families (e. g., young motherhood, higher poverty risk). In particular, universal prevention services (e. g., prenatal classes, parent-child courses) were used less frequently by single parent families, while selective and indicated services such as family or child guidance counselling services and offers of youth welfare agencies were used more frequently. Increased socioeconomic stress suggests a higher need for support among single parents compared to nuclear families. Universal group offers are possibly not sufficient to meet these needs, whereas selective individual counselling offers such as pregnancy and child guidance counseling are used more frequently by single parent families and stepfamilies compared to nuclear families. There seems to be a lack of (group) offers tailored to single parent families - particularly in the first developmental phase of a child's life.

Monosexual/Plurisexual: A Concise History

ABSTRACT Monosexuality and bisexuality (attraction to one and more than one gender/sex, respectively) are historical constructs, as are monomodal (e.g., gender/sex-based) and multimodal concepts of erotic attraction. I provide a brief outline of distinctions between single-gender and multi-gender attractions as they emerged in continental Europe. Nineteenth-century conceptualizations of sexual orientation in terms of gender-exclusivity were animated by medical frames for socio-sexual disfavor and aversion. From the early 1880s bisexuality became framed as a stage of “sexual inversion,” and, from 1891, associated with notions of gender-independent attraction to particular “types.” German and Dutch surveys reported in 1904 were pivotal in popularizing and internationalizing bisexual interest as a sexological intrigue.

COVID-19 in German Nursing Homes: The Impact of Facilities' Structures on the Morbidity and Mortality of Residents-An Analysis of Two Cross-Sectional Surveys.

The COVID-19 pandemic constitutes an exceptional risk to people living and working in nursing homes (NHs). There were numerous cases and deaths among NH residents, especially at the beginning of the pandemic when no vaccines had yet been developed. Besides regional differences, individual NHs showed vast differences in the number of cases and deaths: while in some, nobody was affected, in others, many people were infected or died. We examine the relationship between facility structures and their effect on infections and deaths of NH residents and infections of staff, while considering the influence of COVID-19 prevalence among the general population on the incidence of infection in NHs. Two nationwide German surveys were conducted during the first and second pandemic waves, comprising responses from n = 1067 NHs. Different hurdle models, with an assumed Bernoulli distribution for zero density and a negative binomial distribution for the count density, were fitted. It can be shown that the probability of an outbreak, and the number of cases/deaths among residents and staff, increased with an increasing number of staff and the general spread of the virus. Therefore, reverse isolation of NH residents was an inadequate form of protection, especially at the beginning of the pandemic.

It's the mobility culture, stupid! Winter conditions strongly reduce bicycle usage in German cities, but not in Dutch ones

Cycling is healthy, cheap, and environmentally sustainable, but these benefits remain unexploited if many people only cycle in summer but not in winter. Seasonal differences in cycling are small in Dutch cities but relatively large in German cities. This paper tests whether this is because seasonal conditions are more moderate in the Netherlands or because German cyclists are more sensitive to temperature, rain, and daylight hours. After discussing how German mobility culture mirrors and potentially perpetuates seasonal cycling patterns, I analyse around 335,000 trips from German and Dutch travel surveys enriched with city-level climate data. Results show that Germans react about twice as strongly to changes in temperature and daylight hours as the Dutch. This reveals untapped potential for year-round cycling in countries like Germany, with its benefits for health, finances, and sustainability: The barrier is not the natural environment, but people's response to it. Such responses could change, potentially stimulated by policies that improve winter-friendly infrastructure or boost the idea of year-round cycling as normal behaviour.

Voting behavior as social action: Habits, norms, values, and rationality in electoral participation

The aim of the study is to contribute, theoretically and empirically, to an improved understanding of the social processes and mechanisms generating a citizen’s decisions regarding electoral participation. It seeks to contribute to a solution for the legendary paradox of electoral participation based on formalized social-psychological dual process theories by integrating the Weberian typology of rationalities and related social action into a comprehensive explanation of voter turnout. The empirical analysis, based on two German surveys carried out in 1998 and 2017, reveals that the instrumentally rational voting (purposively rational action) emphasized in the classic rational choice theories used in economic electoral research is rather a special case among modal types of action such as habitual voting (traditional action), norm-related voting (norm-guided action), and voting due to value rationality (value-rational action). Most voters vote out of habit and based on norms and values, while purely purposive-rational voting is more of a special case.

The perceived seriousness of crimes: inter-individual commonalities and differences

The paper focuses on ratings of the perceived seriousness of crimes and how they can be explained in a testable scaling model (SOCID) that shows commonalities and differences among individuals. The model assumes that crimes are first represented on each person’s psychological map. This map can be described as a geometric space spanned by the crimes’ perceived attributes. When assessing the seriousness of crimes, the person positions him-/herself on this map by finding a point whose distances to the crime points express how much he/she is rejects the respective crimes. Using three representative German surveys on crime prevention, the SOCID model is positively tested for various predictions: (1) All persons in our surveys share the same psychological map of crimes; (2) a 2-dimensional map accurately describes the persons’ observed badness ratings; (3) the points representing the crimes form essentially linear manifolds on the maps; (4) the older and the more conservation-oriented a person, the more similar his/her distances to the crimes; (5) gender has no systematic effect on the distribution of person-points on the crimes’ maps.

Impact of German Students’ Digital Readiness for Online- Learning on Factors of Challenges and Mediating Role of German Teachers’ Support at Foreign Languages Universities in Myanmar during COVID- 19 Pandemic: Perspectives from Developing Country

The purpose of this study is to examine the connection between German students’ digital readiness for online learning, their challenges and the support of German teachers at Foreign Languages Universities in Myanmar. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted educational institutions across the world. In Myanmar, all the learning methods shifted to online instruction. However, there are a limited number of factors that influence students’ online learning. Some of these include digital readiness and support from teachers. In addition, several challenges exist regarding their educational backgrounds. The data for this research were collected through conducting in-depth interviews with German teachers (n=10) and surveys of German students (n=112). This study took an exploratory mixed-method design. In qualitative analysis, the constructivist grounded theory method is used for data collection and the data analysis is also described and justified by Charmaz (2014) as a general guide. In the quantitative analysis, the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics through SPSS 27.0. Findings reveal that German students faced a limited number of challenges and the level of German student’s digital readiness and teachers’ support positively impacted on these factors of challenges for online learning during Covid-19 pandemic. The data analyzed showed that each of their challenges varied according to their perceptions and readiness to technology integration. To sum up, this research offers factors of challenges which significantly correlate with digital readiness and teachers’ support during the corona-crisis in developing country.

Acceptance and Fear of Artificial Intelligence: associations with personality in a German and a Chinese sample

Understanding individual differences in attitudes towards Artificial Intelligence (AI) is of importance, among others in system development. Against this background, we sought to investigate associations between personality and attitudes towards AI. Relations were investigated in samples from two countries—Germany and China—to find potentially replicable, cross-culturally applicable associations. In German (N = 367, n = 137 men) and Chinese (N = 879; n = 220 men) online surveys, participants completed items on sociodemographic variables, the Attitudes Towards Artificial Intelligence (ATAI) scale, and the Big Five Inventory. Correlational analysis revealed among others significant positive associations between Neuroticism and fear of AI in both samples, with similar effect sizes. In addition to a significant association of acceptance of AI with gender, regression analyses revealed a small but significant positive association between Neuroticism and fear of AI in the German sample. In the Chinese sample, regression analyses showed positive associations of acceptance of AI with age, Openness, and Agreeableness. Fear of AI was only significantly negatively related to Agreeableness in the Chinese sample. The association of fear of AI with Neuroticism just failed to be significant in the regression model in the Chinese sample. These results reveal important insights into associations between certain personality traits and attitudes towards AI. However, given mostly small effect sizes of relations between personality and attitudes towards AI, other factors aside from personality traits seem to be of relevance to explain variance in individuals’ attitudes towards AI, as well.

Declining Sexual Activity and Desire in Women: Findings from Representative German Surveys 2005 and 2016.

We estimate (1) sexual activity and sexual desire in women living with and without a partner across the age range in Germany and (2) changes over 11years. A representative survey of 1345 (response rate: 65%) women between 18 and 99years from 2016 was compared to a survey of 1314 women age 18-91 from 2005 (response rate: 53%). Sexual activity was assessed as having been physically intimate with someone in the past year; frequency of sexual desire was rated for the past 4weeks. In 2016, the great majority of women living with a partner were sexually active and indicated sexual desire until the age of 60, which decreased thereafter. Compared to 2005, fewer women cohabited with a partner. Across the age range, women living without a partner reported considerably less sexual activity and desire. The overall proportion of women reporting partnered sexual activity decreased from 67% to 62% in 2016, and absent sexual desire increased from 24% to 26%. Declines of sexual activity and desire affected mostly young and middle-aged women. The decline of sexual activity and desire seems to be due to a reduced proportion of women living with a partner. There was also a generation effect with younger and middle-aged women without a partner becoming less sexually active and experiencing less desire compared to the previous survey. While surveys were methodologically comparable, interpretations are limited by the absence of longitudinal data.

The Quality of Data on Participation in Adult Education and Training. An Analysis of Varying Participation Rates and Patterns Under Consideration of Survey Design and Measurement Effects.

Statistics on adult education and training (AET) are often considered as insufficient because they fail to deliver a comprehensive and consistent picture of this field of education. This study addresses a specific problem in AET statistics that is varying participation rates of adults in AET depending on underlying data sources. We elaborate potential causes for deviations in survey design and the measurement of participation in sample based AET statistics with reference to the Total Survey Error (TSE) approach. Our analysis compares AET participation rates and patterns from four representative German surveys and reveals substantial differences in participation rates and mixed results for patterns of participation in AET. We find similar relationships for the influence of employment and educational attainment. The relationship with region, gender, and age shows to some extent deviations that conclude in contradictory statements on probabilities of participation. The discussion addresses consequences for the interpretation of survey results on AET participations and draws conclusions for the further development of AET statistics.

Moss species-specific accumulation of atmospheric deposition?

BackgroundThis article presents statistical analyses of elements concentrations in mosses collected in two monitoring programmes: 1. The German moss monitoring as part of the European Moss Survey conducted in 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2015 at 592, 1026, 1028, 726 and 400 sites across Germany, respectively, and chemically analysed according to harmonised methods throughout Europe; and 2. The moss surveys additionally performed throughout Bavaria, federal state of Germany. The evaluations of the present study are intended to examine indications whether the element accumulations are specific to moss species and whether, therefore, conversion factors should be used. Such observations and recommendations have so far been limited to spatially confined areas and relatively few moss samples and were derived from different studies without a common methodology. Therefore, the objective of this investigation was to analyse large and long-term datasets from moss surveys for differences in element concentrations in different moss species. This analysis was based on data derived from several moss species collected across Germany and specimens of only one moss species collected in the monitoring programme performed by the environmental authority of Bavaria. So far, the presented investigation is the most comprehensive one in terms of running time, spatial density of the measurement network and method harmonisation.ResultsThe present study does neither verify nor falsify the hypothesis of moss species-specific element accumulations in mosses. This, like the other studies, is not possible because of its empirical design, since that would require strictly controlled laboratory experiments. However, this investigation yielded hints, that the differences in element accumulation in several moss species across German surveys between 1990 and 2015 are in the range of the intra- and inter-specific variance reported.ConclusionIt is, therefore, advisable to continue dispensing with conversion factors so far.

Colonoscopy and Sigmoidoscopy Use among the Average-Risk Population for Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Trend Analysis.

Monitoring population-level colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy use is crucial to estimate the future burden of colorectal cancer and guide screening efforts. We conducted a systematic literature search on colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy use, published between November 2016 and December 2018 in the databases PubMed and Web of Science to update previous reviews and analyze time trends for various countries. In addition, we used data from the German and European Health Interview Surveys and the National Health Interview Survey to explore recent time trends for Germany and the US, respectively. The literature search yielded 23 new articles: fourteen from the US and nine from Australia, Canada, England, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea. Colonoscopy use within 10 years was highest and, apart from the youngest age groups eligible for colorectal cancer screening, kept increasing to levels close to 60% in the US and Germany. A recent steep increase was also observed for South Korea. Limited data were available on sigmoidoscopy use; regional studies from the US suggest that sigmoidoscopy has become rarely used. Despite high uptake and ongoing increase in the US, Germany, and South Korea, use of colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy has either remained low or essentially unknown for the majority of countries.

Spawning by the European eel across 2000 km of the Sargasso Sea.

It has been known for about a century that European eels have a unique life history that includes offshore spawning in the Sargasso Sea about 5000-7000 km away from their juvenile and adult habitats in Europe and northern Africa. Recently hatched eel larvae were historically collected during Danish, German and American surveys in specific areas in the southern Sargasso Sea. During a 31 day period of March and April 2014, Danish and German research ships sampled for European eel larvae along 15 alternating transects of stations across the Sargasso Sea. The collection of recently hatched eel larvae (≤12 mm) from 70° W and eastward to 50° W showed that the European eel had been spawning across a 2000 km wide region of the North Atlantic Ocean. Historical collections made from 1921 to 2007 showed that small larvae had also previously been collected in this wide longitudinal zone, showing that the spatial extent of spawning has not diminished in recent decades, irrespective of the dramatic decline in recruitment. The use of such a wide spawning area may be related to variations in the onset of the silver eel spawning migration, individual differences in their long-term swimming ability, or aspects of larval drift.

Declining Sexual Activity and Desire in Men—Findings From Representative German Surveys, 2005 and 2016

BackgroundSurveys have indicated an increase of sexual activity in aging men; recently, however, a decrease of sexual activity has been reported in young men. AimTo assess (i) sexual activity and desire and their determinants across the age range in a population-based male sample and (ii) their changes over 11 years. MethodsA representative survey of men (N = 1,095) 18 to 93 years old from 2016 was compared with a survey from 2005 (N = 1,106 men) with the same age range. Samples were drawn from the German population at random using standardized sampling procedures. Questions were filled out by participants in the presence of a trained interviewer. Sexual activity was compared using logistic regression with the factors survey (2005 vs 2016), living with a partner (yes vs no), and age. Frequency of sexual desire was compared using analysis of covariance with the factors survey (2005 vs 2016), living with a partner (yes vs no), and the covariate age. OutcomesSexual activity was assessed as having been intimate with someone in the past year; frequency of sexual desire was evaluated within the past 4 weeks. ResultsThe great majority of men cohabiting with a partner in 2016 was sexually active and indicated sexual desire until 70 years of age; half did so at an older age. Across the age range, men living without a partner reported considerably less sexual activity and desire. Compared with 2005, fewer men reported living with a partner. The overall proportion of men reporting sexual activity deceased from 81% to 73% in 2016 and absent sexual desire increased from 8% to 13%. Clinical TranslationThe findings highlight the relevance of living with a partner for sexual activity and desire. We advocate using a measure of sexual activity that encompasses many variants of intimate behavior. Strengths and LimitationsLarge and methodologically comparable population-based samples were compared. However, interpretations are limited by the absence of longitudinal data. We did not assess the effect of having a partner living elsewhere. ConclusionSexual activity and desire decreased, especially in the young and middle-age groups. The decrease of men living with a partner contributed to this decreased sexual activity and desire. There was a generation effect, with younger and middle-age men living without a partner becoming less sexually active and experiencing less desire compared with the previous survey. The findings unveil changes in sexual activity and desire in a short time span.Beutel ME, Burghardt J, Tibubos AN, et al. Declining Sexual Activity and Desire in Men—Findings From Representative German Surveys, 2005 and 2016. J Sex Med 2018;15:750–756.

Uncertainties of Domestic Road Freight Statistics: Insights for Regional Material Flow Studies

SummaryFreight statistics are at the core of many studies in the field of industrial ecology because they depict the physical interdependencies of territories and allow links to be made worldwide between production and consumption. Recent studies have focused increasingly on subnational scales, often relying on domestic freight data. In this perspective, this article analyses the uncertainties of the French domestic road freight survey, road being by far the most common mode of transport in the country. Based on a statistical analysis of the survey, we propose a model to estimate the uncertainty of any given domestic road transport flow. We also assess uncertainty reduction when averaging the flows over several years, and obtain for instance a 30% reduction for a three‐year average. We then study the impact of the uncertainties on regional material flow studies such as the economy‐wide material flow analysis of the Bourgogne region. Overall the case studies advocate for a systematic assessment of freight uncertainties, as neither the disaggregation level nor the quantities traded are good enough predictors. This justifies the need for an easy‐to‐implement estimation model. Finally, basic comparison with the German and Swedish surveys tends to indicate that the main conclusions presented in this article are likely to be valid in other European countries.

A closer look at personal values and delinquency

The paper takes a closer look at the relations of personal values and delinquency in two representative German surveys. A new definition for value items is proposed and used to cull 30 items that measure eleven basic values. It is shown that the structure of the values and their items in multi-dimensional scaling and in unfolding, respectively, suggest an underlying continuous value scale where the values are but verbal markers for different segments of the circle. This value circle is shared by almost all persons, and different persons differ only in terms of how they prioritize the various values. Centering or not centering the ratings leads to virtually the same value circles. The value circle allows predicting a sine-like pattern of correlations of values with attitudes on delinquency, self-reported delinquent behavior, and the perceived risks of delinquency. The best predictors are hedonism and stimulation (for positive relations towards delinquency) and tradition, conformity, and peace of mind (for negative relations).

Estimates of Ethanol Exposure in Children from Food not Labeled as Alcohol-Containing.

Ethanol is widely used in herbal medicines, e.g., for children. Furthermore, alcohol is a constituent of fermented food such as bread or yogurt and “non-fermented” food such as fruit juices. At the same time, exposure to very low levels of ethanol in children is discussed as possibly having adverse effects on psychomotoric functions. Here, we have analyzed alcohol levels in different food products from the German market. It was found that orange, apple and grape juice contain substantial amounts of ethanol (up to 0.77 g/L). Furthermore, certain packed bakery products such as burger rolls or sweet milk rolls contained more than 1.2 g ethanol/100 g. We designed a scenario for average ethanol exposure by a 6-year-old child. Consumption data for the “categories” bananas, bread and bakery products and apple juice were derived from US and German surveys. An average daily exposure of 10.3 mg ethanol/kg body weight (b.w.) was estimated. If a high (acute) consumption level was assumed for one of the “categories,” exposure rose to 12.5–23.3 mg/kg b.w. This amount is almost 2-fold (average) or up to 4-fold (high) higher than the lowest exposure from herbal medicines (6 mg/kg b.w.) suggested to require warning hints for the use in children.

Visualising the Eastern Front: Heimatschutz and Survey Photography During the First World War

This article discusses the photographic surveys undertaken on Polish occupied lands in the framework of the German war-time Landeskunde and Kunstschutz research projects. It presents the photographic collections produced in the General Government and Ober Ost , held in larger and smaller archives, widely popularized both on the front and at home by means of the press, albums, scientific and popular publications, postcards, lantern lectures and exhibitions. It argues that the advancement of the front provided a unique opportunity for such explorations and that the German surveys were the first of such reach and scale to cover all of Polish territories. The article also traces the possible close collaboration between German and Polish scholars, photographers and institutions. In particular it juxtaposes the survey initiatives undertaken by the Warsaw civic societies with the projects of the Landeskundliche Kommission and the Warsaw Hofbauabteilung . In addition, it focuses on the close collaboration between Jan Bulhak and the German art historians in Vilnius.

Developmental Hazards Among Young Alcohol Intoxicated Patients

PurposeThe rising numbers of alcohol intoxicated adolescents (AIA) treated in emergency care units in several European countries have drawn attention to this target group for prevention. To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess a broad array of developmental hazards and their stability in AIA and to compare their distribution with representative samples (RS). MethodsA multisite cohort study of AIA aged 13–17 years assessed, in the hospital (t0) and 6 months later (t1), (family) violence, cannabis and alcohol use, school problems, delinquency, homelessness, depression, and suicidality, using items from representative German surveys: Children and Adolescent Health Survey (KiGGS), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and Communities That Care Youth Survey. We calculated the differences between AIA and RS and corresponding 95% confidence intervals. For AIA respondents who completed t0 and t1 information, we calculated prevalence/persistence/incidence of developmental hazards and corresponding 95% confidence interval. ResultsA total of 342 AIA participated at t0, 228 at t1 (67%). AIA had a significantly higher burden of concomitant risks regarding physical and emotional family abuse, (sexual) victimization, cannabis use, binge drinking, school expulsion, police arrest, gang membership, and being violent. Six months after hospitalization, emotional family abuse (34.1%), cannabis use (23.5%), depression (14.8%), and being violent (13.2%) were especially prevalent. ConclusionsDevelopmental hazards are up to six times more prevalent in AIA than in RS. Therefore, when assessing the risk profile of AIA, it is important to consider developmental hazards as well as detrimental alcohol use.