The PSID measures economic, social, and health factors over the life course of families over multiple generations.
This second sample, though not nationally representative, allowed for more studies to investigate poverty in the United States.
To these, a new set of 441 families from the Immigrant sample created a study group capable of tracking the current demographics in the US.
The CDS provides researchers with extensive data on children and their extended families with which to study the dynamic process of early human and social capital formation.
Information includes measures of time use, psychological functioning, marriage, family, responsibilities, employment and income, education and career goals, health, social environment, religiosity, and outlook on life.
A smaller subset of information pertaining to individuals (whether they are a head, wife, or other family unit members) is contained in the cross-year individual file, and each record is uniquely identified by a 1968 Family ID and Person Number pair.
Hundreds of additional variables that fall into other domains have been collected in various waves throughout the history of the PSID.
No identifying information is distributed to data users and the identity of all respondents is held in confidence.
The PSID was named one of the National Science Foundation's "Sensational Sixty," NSF-funded inventions, innovations and discoveries that have become commonplace in American lives.