The commands for accessing the PSID data used for this analysis are stored on the PSID website (http://psidonline.isr.umich.edu/). 

First, it is necessary to register as a PSID user (see https://simba.isr.umich.edu/U/Login.aspx?redir=https://simba.isr.umich.edu/U/Logout.aspx). 

Second, login as a PSID user. 

Third, attempt to retrieve previous data carts at https://simba.isr.umich.edu/VS/c.aspx. Near the top of this page will be a note stating “To retrieve carts created by another user, enter an email address below”. In this case, enter “thomas.cooke@uconn.edu”. This will then provide a link to a data cart entitled “Demographic Research: Union Dissolution and Migration”. 

Then make the following choices: “select” then “Checkout”. For “Data Output type” select “ASCII Data with Stata Statements” and then “Submit”. This will then provide a set of links regarding the data — the most important of which is “Rectangular ASCII Data” and “STATA Statements”. 

Download both of these and then follow the directions within the “STATA Statements” file to create a Stata data set using the “Rectangular ASCII Data” file.  

Based on this data, the following three STATA .do files must be used in order. In all cases, be sure to use the “cd” command to direct STATA to the correct directory where the data are stored.


1. Step 1.do: This takes the raw PSID data (which in this case has been renamed “Individuals in Households 1968 to 2011”), transforms it from “wide” to “long” format, renames the variables, and does some simple variable recoding. The output from this file is named “Individuals in Households Long”.


2. Step 2.do: Starting with the “Individuals in Households Long” file, this creates a data file that links the residential location of children to that of their parents in the period immediately coinciding with a union dissolution, defines the variables, and selects the sample. The output from the file is named “All Couples[14]”. Note that this also imports data from a file called “CPI.dta” to adjust income for inflation.


3. Step 3.do: Starting with the “All Couples[14]” file, this creates excel spreadsheets of descriptive statistics and parameter estimates, estimates the various models used in the analysis, and generates the graphics.