Private Life Preference and Life Satisfaction:

Abstract Life satisfaction should be analysed focussing on the institutionalized occupational and private life, on preferences, and on the life course and controlling for life success. To do so, four hypotheses are tested. (1) Private life preference affects private life satisfaction positively, and occupational life satisfaction negatively. (2) Private life preference is affected by private life satisfaction positively, and occupational life satisfaction negatively. (3) Both satisfactions and private life preference are stable over the life course. (4) In each domain, success affects satisfaction positively. The sample consists of – socially selected – German high school students at age 16 which have been re-interviewed at age 30, 43, 56, and 66. Among the 1013 permanent respondents, the hypotheses are investigated by structural equation models with random effects. Hypothesis (1) and (2) are confirmed for occupational life, yet not for private life. Hypothesis (3) is confirmed throughout. Hypothesis (4) is confirmed for occupational life, but only partly for private life. Paradoxically, the everyday prominence of private life excludes its determination by the preference for it.