DOI: 10.3886/icpsr36346.v7
title: Midlife in the United States (MIDUS 3), 2013-2014
title: Version 7

description: In 1995-1996, the MacArthur Midlife Research Network carried out a national survey of over 7,000 Americans aged 25 to 74 [ICPSR 2760]. The purpose of the study was to investigate the role of behavioral, psychological, and social factors in understanding age-related differences in physical and mental health. The study was innovative for its broad scientific scope, its diverse samples (which included siblings of the main sample respondents and a national sample of twin pairs), and its creative use of in-depth assessments in key areas (e.g. daily diary of stressful experiences [ICPSR 3725] and cognitive functioning [ICPSR 3596]) on a subset of participants. A detailed description of the study and findings generated by it are available at: http://www.midus.wisc.edu
With support from the National Institute on Aging, a follow-up of the original Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) sample was conducted in 2004 (MIDUS 2 [ICPSR 4652]). The daily stress and cognitive functioning projects were repeated and expanded at MIDUS 2; in addition the protocol was expanded to include biomarkers and neuroscience.
In 2013 a third wave (MIDUS 3) of survey data was collected on longitudinal participants. Data collection for this follow-up wave largely repeated baseline assessments (e.g., phone interview and extensive self-administered questionnaire), with additional questions in selected areas such as economic recession experiences. Cognitive functioning data were also collected at the same time, while data collection for the daily diary, biomarker, and neuroscience projects commenced in 2017.
 MIDUS also maintains a
Colectica portal, which allows users to interact with variables across waves and create customized subsets. Registration is required.
description: The Aggregate Data dataset contains 2,613 variables and 3,294 cases. This dataset includes information about the following types of variables: recession experience, health, education, occupation, marital status, household roster, children, caregiving, living arrangements, race and ethnicity, life satisfaction, health insurance, personal beliefs, finances, community involvement, neighborhood, social networks, sexuality, religion and spirituality, discrimination, childhood family background, images of life change, and psychological turning points.
The Disposition Codes dataset contains 6 variables and 7,108 cases. This dataset contains final disposition codes for the M3 phone interview.
The Coded Text Data dataset contains 183 variables and 3,137 cases. This dataset contains coded text responses to open-ended questions and those which had "Other-specify" responses.
description: A set of post-stratification weight variables is available in the Aggregate Data dataset. Details are available in separate weighting documentation.
description: Response Rates: 77 percent of living longitudinal participants completed the M3 phone survey. Details of fielding and final disposition codes for Phone, SAQ, as well as Cognitive data collection projects can be found in the Field Report.
description: Presence of Common Scales: For information regarding scales, please refer to the Psychosocial Constructs and Composite Variables.
description: Only living respondents who completed the M2 phone interview were eligible for participation in the M3 survey.
description: Datasets: 
DS0: Study-Level Files
DS1: Aggregate Data
DS2: Disposition Codes
DS3: Coded Text Data
description: The noninstitutionalized, English-speaking population of the United States. Smallest Geographic Unit: none
description: computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI); cognitive assessment test; mail questionnaireThe variable M2ID is the linking variable for the four datasets in this collection. The data in this collection can also be linked to all MIDUS datasets using the variable M2ID, including wave 1 [ICPSR 2760] and wave 2 [ICPSR 4652].Additional information about the Midlife Development in the United States study can be found at the MIDUS Web site.The title of this study was changed from National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS 3), 2013-2014, to Midlife in the United States (MIDUS 3), 2013-2014, on May 9, 2017.