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on Economics of Happiness |
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Issue of 2016‒05‒28
seven papers chosen by |
| By: | Huffman, Sonya; Rizov, Marian |
| Keywords: | Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea16:235148&r=hap |
| By: | Sabatini, Fabio; Sarracino, Francesco |
| Abstract: | Online social networks, such as Facebook, disclose an unprecedented volume of personal information amplifying the occasions for social comparisons, which can be a cause of frustration. We test the hypothesis that the use of social networking sites (SNS) increases social comparisons as proxied by people’s dissatisfaction with their income and we compare the effect of SNS in Western and Eastern European countries. After controlling for the possibility of reverse causality, our results suggest that SNS users have a higher probability to compare their achievements with those of others. In Western countries, this leads individuals to a lower satisfaction with their economic conditions. The opposite holds in Eastern countries, where upward comparisons seemingly strengthen the hope that an improvement in individuals’ economic conditions will occur (so called “tunnel effect”). We conclude that SNS can be a strong engine of frustration for their users depending on the institutional and economic circumstances. |
| Keywords: | Social Networks, Social Networking Sites, Social Comparisons, Satisfaction with Income, Relative Deprivation, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, D83, I31, O33, Z1, Z13, |
| Date: | 2016–04–30 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:feemet:234936&r=hap |
| By: | Koen Decancq; Erik Schokkaert; Blanca Zuluaga |
| Abstract: | In many applications of the capability approach it is necessary to rank individuals with respect to their well-being. This raises the dicult question of how to select the weights to be attached to the relevant functionings or capabilities. We explore the possibility to use individual valuations to set these weights and we propose the equivalent income measure as a specic well-being measure which is consistent with these individual valuations. We discuss its implementation and compare the results to four alternative well-being measures based on Colombian data for 2008: income, subjective well-being, the ocial SISBEN index, and the Colombian Multidimensional Poverty Index (CMPI). We nd that there is remarkable little overlap between the dierent measures. Dierent well-being measures identify dierent people as worst-o. This nding highlights the empirical relevance of the selection of the well-being measure when implementing the capability approach. |
| Keywords: | Capability Approach, Preferences, Equivalent Income, Colombia |
| Date: | 2016–03–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:col:000495:014571&r=hap |
| By: | Liliya Leopold; Thomas Leopold; Clemens M. Lechner |
| Abstract: | This study asked whether immigrants suffer more from job loss than German natives do. Compositional, psychosocial, and normative differences between these groups suggest that various factors intensifying the negative impact of unemployment on subjective well-being are either more prevalent, more influential, or distinct among immigrants. Based on longitudinal data from the German Socio-economic Panel Study (1990–2012; N = 36,296 persons aged 20 to 64; N = 240,071 person-years), we used fixed-effects models to trace within-person change in subjective well-being across the transition from employment to unemployment and over several years after job loss. Results showed that immigrants’ average declines in subjective well-being exceeded those of natives. Further analyses revealed gender interactions. Declines were smaller and similar among immigrant and native women. Among men, declines were larger and differed between immigrants and natives. Immigrant men showed the largest declines, amounting to one standard deviation of within-person change over time in subjective well-being. We conclude that psychosocial factors render immigrant men most vulnerable to the adverse effects of unemployment. |
| Keywords: | Unemployment, immigrants and natives, subjective well-being, panel data, fixed-effects models |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:diw:diwsop:diw_sp842&r=hap |
| By: | Richard V. Burkhauser; Jan-Emmanuel De Neve; Nattavudh Powdthavee |
| Abstract: | The share of income held by the top 1 percent in many countries around the world has been rising persistently over the last 30 years. But we continue to know little about how the rising top income shares affect human well-being. This study combines the latest data to examine the relationship between top income share and different dimensions of subjective well-being. We find top income shares to be significantly correlated with lower life evaluation and higher levels of negative emotional well-being, but not positive emotional well-being. The results are robust to household income, individual’s socio-economic status, and macroeconomic environment controls. |
| Keywords: | Top income; life evaluation; well-being; income inequality; World top income database; Gallup World Poll |
| JEL: | J1 |
| Date: | 2016–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:66411&r=hap |
| By: | Lidia Ceriani (The World Bank, U.S.A.); Chiara Gigliarano (Università degli Studi dell'Insubria, Italy) |
| Abstract: | In the multidimensional well-being literature, it has been long advocated that it is important to consider how the different well-being domains interact. Nevertheless, none of the existing approaches is useful to tackle this issue. In this paper, we show that the statistical technique of Bayesian Networks is an intuitive and powerful instrument that allows to graphically model the dependence structure among the different dimension of well-being. Moreover, Bayesian Networks can be used to understand the effectiveness of given interventions addressed to one or more dimensions, as well as to design more effective policies to reach the desired outcome. The new approach is illustrated with an empirical application based on data for a selection of Western and Eastern European countries. |
| Keywords: | Multivariate analysis, directed acyclic graphs, probabilistic inference, well-being |
| Date: | 2016–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:inq:inqwps:ecineq2016-399&r=hap |
| By: | Hande Inanc |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates the extent to which unemployment and temporary work – two forms of labour market insecurity – affect different aspects of subjective well-being (i.e. life satisfaction, psychological well-being and satisfaction with partnership) among legally married and cohabiting couples in the United Kingdom. Drawing on matched data for couples from the British Household Panel Study, the paper shows that both forms of labour market insecurity, when experienced by the male partner, lower significantly the psychological well-being and life satisfaction of the female partner; women’s temporary work also slightly lowers men’s psychological well-being. The impact of spousal labour market insecurity depends, however, on the employment status of the individual: after controlling for financial strain, psychological well-being and life-satisfaction of both partners in a couple are hampered the most when men are economically dependent on their female partners. In the case of partnership satisfaction, results differ from the other two subjective well-being outcomes: while unemployment of the female partner is associated with higher satisfaction for men, partnership satisfaction is particularly low when both partners experience either form of labour market insecurity. These effects are robust after controlling for fixed individual characteristics that can influence both employment status and well-being outcomes. Ce document analyse dans quelle mesure le chômage et le travail temporaire – deux types d’insécurité du marché du travail – influent sur différentes dimensions du bien-être subjectif (satisfaction à l’égard de la vie, bien-être psychologique et satisfaction à l’égard de la vie de couple) des couples au Royaume-Uni, mariés ou non. En s’appuyant sur des données appariées issues de l’enquête British Household Panel Study réalisée auprès des ménages, ce document montre que ces deux exemples de l’insécurité du marché du travail, lorsqu’ils sont vécus, au sein du couple, par l’homme, ont un effet négatif sensible sur le bien-être psychologique et la satisfaction à l’égard de la vie de la femme ; le travail temporaire des femmes a également un effet légèrement négatif sur le bien-être psychologique des hommes. L’impact de l’insécurité du marché du travail sur le couple dépend toutefois de la situation au regard de l’emploi de chacun de ses membres : après prise en compte des difficultés financières, c’est la dépendance économique de l’homme par rapport à la femme qui pèse le plus fortement sur le bien-être psychologique et la satisfaction à l’égard de la vie des deux conjoints. S’agissant de la satisfaction à l’égard de la vie de couple, les résultats divergent par rapport aux deux autres dimensions du bien-être subjectif : si le chômage de la femme est associé à une plus grande satisfaction à l’égard de la vie chez les hommes, la satisfaction à l’égard de la vie de couple est particulièrement faible lorsque les deux conjoints sont touchés soit par le chômage soit par le travail temporaire. Ces effets persistent après prise en compte des caractéristiques individuelles fixes susceptibles d’influencer la situation au regard de l’emploi et le bien-être. |
| Date: | 2016–05–20 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:stdaaa:2016/4-en&r=hap |