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Adaptation to Income over Time: A Weak Point of Subjective Well-Being

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  • Christoph Wunder

Abstract

This article holds the view that intertemporal comparisons of subjective well-being measures are only meaningful when the underlying standards of judgment are unaltered. This is a weak point of such measures. The study investigates the change in the satisfaction judgments resulting from adaptation to income over time. Adaptation is defined to be desensitization (sensitization) to the hedonic effect of income resulting from an upward (downward) adjustment of the standards. A framework is introduced that provides empirical estimates for the rate of adaptation using data from the Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP).

Suggested Citation

  • Christoph Wunder, 2009. "Adaptation to Income over Time: A Weak Point of Subjective Well-Being," Schmollers Jahrbuch : Journal of Applied Social Science Studies / Zeitschrift für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin, vol. 129(2), pages 269-281.
    • Handle: RePEc:aeq:aeqsjb:v129_y2009_i1_q1_p269-281
    DOI: 10.3790/schm.129.2.269
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Matthew Shannon, 2021. "The Impact of Victimisation on Subjective Well-Being," Working Papers 202123, School of Economics, University College Dublin.
    2. Jantsch, Antje & Le Blanc, Julia & Schmidt, Tobias, 2022. "Wealth and subjective well-being in Germany," Discussion Papers 11/2022, Deutsche Bundesbank.
    3. Andrew E. Clark, 2016. "Adaptation and the Easterlin Paradox," Creative Economy, in: Toshiaki Tachibanaki (ed.), Advances in Happiness Research, edition 1, chapter 0, pages 75-94, Springer.
    4. Daniel Kuehnle & Christoph Wunder, 2016. "Using the Life Satisfaction Approach to Value Daylight Savings Time Transitions: Evidence from Britain and Germany," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 17(6), pages 2293-2323, December.
    5. Christoph Wunder & Johannes Schwarze, 2010. "What (If Anything) Do Satisfaction Scores Tell Us about the Intertemporal Change in Living Conditions," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 306, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    6. Gruen, Carola & Klasen, Stephan, 2012. "Has transition improved well-being?," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 11-30.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being

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