Hollingshead Four-Factor Index of Socioeconomic Status: (SES-Adult)

The Hollingshead Four Factor Index of Socioeconomic Status is a survey designed to measure social status of an individual based on four domains: marital status, retired/employed status, educational attainment, and occupational prestige. The participant’s education code is obtained education code is rated on a 7-point scale that lists highest grade completed, in which 7=graduate/professional training, 6= standard college or university graduation, 5=partial college, at least one year of specialized training, 4= high school graduate, 3=partial high school, 10th or 11th grade, 2= junior high school, including 9th grade, 1= less than 7th grade, 0=not applicable or unknown. The participant’s occupational code is rated on a 9-point scale, in which 9=higher executive, proprietor of large businesses, major professional, 8=administrators, lesser professionals, proprietor of medium-sized business, 7=smaller business owners, farm owners, managers, minor professionals, 6=technicians, semi-professionals, small business owners (business valued at $50,000-70,000), 5=clerical and sales workers, small farm and business owners (business valued at $25,000-50,000), 4=smaller business owners (<$25,000), skilled manual laborers, craftsmen, tenant farmers, 3=machine operators and semi-skilled workers, 2=unskilled workers,1=farm laborers, menial service workers, students, housewives, (dependent on welfare, no regular occupation), 0=not applicable or unknown. If the participant has a spouse/significant other that is contributing to the household, their education and occupational codes are obtained as well. The participant is asked who was financially supporting him or her at age 16, and education and occupational codes are obtained for these parent/guardians as well. An SES score is calculated separately for the participant and for the participant’s parents.

Domains Assessed: Background Information

Note: This is administered to all adult participants, ages 18-85 years old, during the SCID administration.

References: Hollingshead, A. A. (1975). Four-factor index of social status. Unpublished manuscript, Yale University, New Haven, CT.