More people today have a stronger belief in their own ability to shape their lives

People living in Germany have more confidence in themselves today than 20 years ago. They have more faith in their ability to influence their own lives and key life events. This has now been shown in a long-term study conducted by Dr. Theresa M. Entringer from the University of Greifswald and colleagues from Berlin and the U.S., based on the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP). Data from more than 42,000 individuals were analyzed for this purpose. The examination period spanned more than two decades; those interviewed were ages 16 to 98. The study was published in the European Journal of Personality.