GGS-II Wave 2 Questionnaire: User module "Leaving and Returning to the Parental Home"

The GGS-II Wave 2 questionnaire was restructured to include new thematic sections, with space allocated for user-driven innovations. In 2023, an open call invited researchers to submit new content modules. This paper presents the user module “Leaving and Returning to the Parental Home”.

In many countries the transition to residential independence has been delayed with increasing returns following an initial departure. The proposed additional questions identify movement in and out of the parental home between w1 and w2 and motivations for remaining, leaving and returning to the parental home. These proposed new motivation questions are based on questions already tested within the UK GGS. Thus the proposed module adds depth and exploits the longitudinal nature of the GGS. First a single new question identifies whether the individual was living with at least one (biological/step/adoptive/foster)parent in wave 1. This information is then combined with the answers to existing w2 question MEM02 – relationship to other household members - to identify movement in and out of the parental home between wave 1 and wave 2. Depending upon the answers to these questions respondents are routed to a maximum of two new questions about their motivations for leaving/returning/remaining in the parental home. Given that these questions will be asked within the rich GGS framework we will be able to see how the dynamics of leaving and returning to the parental home are affected by country, gender, education and parental SES.