Hollingshead Four-Factor Index of Socioeconomic Status (SES-Child)

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 child participant’s parent’s 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 child participant’s parent’s occupational code is rated on a 9-point scale, for which the Hollingshead manuscript provides a more detailed list: 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 An SES score is then calculated for a total parental SES score.

Domains Assessed: Background Information

Note: This is administered to guardians of all child participants, ages 6-17 years old, during the KSADS administration.

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 Unpublished manuscript, Yale University, New Haven, CT.