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Do the arts make you happy? A quantile regression approach

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  • Chris Hand

    (Kingston University)

Abstract

Compared to other leisure time activities, the effect of arts attendance on happiness has received less attention and studies of related topics have produced mixed results, identifying either no effect or very small effects. We investigate this issue using a large (N = 7753) sample from the UK. In contrast to earlier studies, quantile regression is used to allow the relationship between arts attendance and other controls and happiness to vary across different levels of happiness. The relationship found in prior studies is confirmed, but the quantile regression results show that the nature of the relationship varies across the distribution of the happiness variable. A significant relationship is found at the lower quartile, and a moderate relationship (significant at the 10% level) is found at the median level.

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  • Chris Hand, 2018. "Do the arts make you happy? A quantile regression approach," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 42(2), pages 271-286, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jculte:v:42:y:2018:i:2:d:10.1007_s10824-017-9302-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s10824-017-9302-4
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    5. Lahsen, Amina. A & Piper, Alan T., 2018. "Property Rights and Intellectual Property Protection, GDP growth and Well-Being in Latin America," MPRA Paper 90034, University Library of Munich, Germany.
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    7. Andrea Baldin & Trine Bille, 2023. "The lost value for users of cultural institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic: a life satisfaction approach," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 70(2), pages 257-281, June.
    8. Bertacchini, Enrico & Venturini, Alessandra & Misuraca, Roberta & Zotti, Roberto, 2022. "Exploring the relationship between subjective well-being and diversity and intensity in cultural consumption," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis. Working Papers 202219, University of Turin.
    9. Daniela Angelina Jelinčić & Ingeborg Matečić, 2021. "Broken but Well: Healing Dimensions of Cultural Tourism Experiences," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-19, January.
    10. Bertacchini, Enrico & Bolognesi, Valentina & Venturini, Alessandra & Zotti, Roberto, 2021. "The Happy Cultural Omnivore? Exploring the Relationship between Cultural Consumption Patterns and Subjective Well-Being," IZA Discussion Papers 14749, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    11. Federica Codignola & Paolo Mariani, 2022. "Investigating preferences in art collecting: the case of the François Pinault Collection," Italian Journal of Marketing, Springer, vol. 2022(1), pages 107-133, March.
    12. Hakjun Lee & Shik Heo, 2021. "Arts and Cultural Activities and Happiness: Evidence from Korea," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 16(4), pages 1637-1651, August.
    13. Juan Lucio & Marco Palomeque, 2023. "Music preferences as an instrument of emotional self-regulation along the business cycle," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 47(2), pages 181-204, June.
    14. Daniel Wheatley & Craig Bickerton, 2019. "Measuring changes in subjective well-being from engagement in the arts, culture and sport," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 43(3), pages 421-442, September.
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    16. Hakjun Lee & Shik Heo, 2022. "Consumption Pattern Benefits of the Cultural Activities in South Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-14, December.
    17. George P. Kraemer, 2022. "Cultural Sustainability of US Cities: The Scaling of Non-Profit Arts Footprint with Population," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-13, April.
    18. Daria Denti & Alessandro Crociata & Alessandra Faggian, 2023. "Knocking on Hell’s door: dismantling hate with cultural consumption," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 47(2), pages 303-349, June.
    19. Amina Ahmed Lahsen & Alan T. Piper, 2019. "Property rights and intellectual property protection, GDP growth and individual well-being in Latin America," Latin American Economic Review, Springer;Centro de Investigaciòn y Docencia Económica (CIDE), vol. 28(1), pages 1-21, December.
    20. Victoria Ateca-Amestoy & Anna Villarroya & Andreas Joh. Wiesand, 2021. "Heritage Engagement and Subjective Well-Being in the European Union," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-16, August.
    21. Cristina Bernini & Silvia Emili & Federica Galli, 2021. "Does urbanization matter in the expenditure‐happiness nexus?," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 100(6), pages 1403-1428, December.
    22. Osiichuk, Dmytro & Wnuczak, Paweł, 2020. "Aplikacja koncepcji zarządzania wartością VBM w publicznych instytucjach kultury," Studia z Polityki Publicznej / Public Policy Studies, Warsaw School of Economics, vol. 7(3), pages 1-18, October.
    23. Katharina E. Hofer, 2019. "Estimating preferences for the performing arts from referendum votes," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 43(3), pages 397-419, September.

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