title: Linking concurrent self-reports and retrospective proxy reports about the last year of life: a prevailing picture of life satisfaction decline.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined the extent to which retrospective proxy reports of well-being mirror participant self-reports at 12-24 months before death and how proxy reports of well-being change over the last year of life. We also explored the role of sociodemographic, cognitive, and health factors of both participants and proxies in moderating such associations.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used retrospective proxy ratings obtained in the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (N = 164; age at death = 19-99 years).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results revealed moderate agreement between self- and proxy reports (r = .42), but proxies, on average, overestimated participants' life satisfaction by two thirds of a scale point on a 0-10 scale (or 0.4 SD). Discrepancies were particularly pronounced when proxies themselves reported low life satisfaction. Over the last year of life, participants were viewed to have experienced declines in life satisfaction (-0.54 SD). Declines were stronger for ill participants and proxies who reported low life satisfaction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results qualify theoretical expectations and empirical results based on self-report data that are typically available 1 or 2 years before death. We discuss that retrospective proxy reports in panel surveys can be used as a hypothesis-generating tool to gather insights into late life.
authors.affiliation: German Socio-Economic Panel Study, German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin), Germany. Institute of Psychology, Humboldt University Berlin, Germany. frank.j.infurna@hu-berlin.de.
authors.forename: Frank J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Infurna
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gerstorf
authors.affiliation: German Socio-Economic Panel Study, German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin), Germany. Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University, University Park. Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Nilam
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ram
authors.affiliation: German Socio-Economic Panel Study, German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin), Germany. Institute for Sociology, Free University of Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schupp
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Mirjam A G
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sprangers
authors.affiliation: German Socio-Economic Panel Study, German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin), Germany. Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany. Department of Economics, Berlin University of Technology, Germany.
authors.forename: Gert G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Wagner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003643:Death; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D019727:Proxy / Q000523:psychology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D057566:Self Report; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Exit interviews; German Socio-Economic Panel Study; Late-life satisfaction; Proxy reports; SOEP.