Objective confirmation of subjective measures of human well-being: evidence from the USA

Arbeitspapier

A huge research literature, across the behavioral and social sciences, uses information on individuals' subjective well-being. These are responses to questions - asked by survey interviewers or medical personnel - such as how happy do you feel on a scale from 1 to 4? Yet there is little scientific evidence that such data are meaningful. This study examines a 2005-2008 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System random sample of 1.3 million United States citizens. Life-satisfaction in each U.S. state is measured. Across America, people's answers trace out the same pattern of quality of life as previously estimated, using solely non-subjective data, in a literature from economics (so-called 'compensating differentials' neoclassical theory due originally to Adam Smith). There is a state-by-state match (r = 0.6, p < 0.001) between subjective and objective well-being. This result has some potential to help to unify disciplines.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: IZA Discussion Papers ; No. 4695

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; General Welfare; Well-Being
• Subject: Happiness ; well-being ; compensating differentials ; spatial equilibrium ; Lebenszufriedenheit ; Gesundheit ; Lebensqualität ; Räumliche Verteilung ; Schätzung ; USA

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Oswald, Andrew J. ; Wu, Stephen
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)
• (where): Bonn
• (when): 2010

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/36221
• Last update: 30.03.0004, 12:37 PM CET