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The 60es turnaround as a test on the causal relationship between sociability and happiness

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  • Leonardo Becchetti

    () (University of Rome Tor Vergata)

  • Elena Giachin Ricca

    (University of Rome Tor Vergata)

  • Alessandra Pelloni

    (University of Rome Tor Vergata)

Abstract

The nexus between relational life and life satisfaction is riddled with endogeneity problems. By investigating the causal relationship going from the first to the second variable we consider that retirement is a shock which increases the time investable in (outside job) relational life. As a consequence we instrument investment in relational goods with the aggregate exogenous age-retirement pattern. With such approach we document that investment in relational life has a positive and significant effect on life satisfaction. Consequences of our findings in terms of retirement effects and age-happiness pattern are also discussed.

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Bibliographic Info

Paper provided by Econometica in its series Econometica Working Papers with number wp07.

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Length: 43
Date of creation: Feb 2009
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:ent:wpaper:wp07

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Keywords: life satisfaction; relational goods; social capital;

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Cited by:
  1. Benedetto Gui & Luca Stanca, 2010. "Happiness and relational goods: well-being and interpersonal relations in the economic sphere," International Review of Economics, Springer, vol. 57(2), pages 105-118, June.
  2. Stefano Bartolini & Francesco Sarracino, 2011. "Happy for How Long? How Social Capital and GDP relate to Happiness over Time," Department of Economics University of Siena 621, Department of Economics, University of Siena.
  3. Björn Bünger, 2010. "The demand for relational goods: empirical evidence from the European Social Survey," International Review of Economics, Springer, vol. 57(2), pages 177-198, June.
  4. Stefano Bartolini & Ennio Bilancini, 2010. "If not only GDP, what else? Using relational goods to predict the trends of subjective well-being," International Review of Economics, Springer, vol. 57(2), pages 199-213, June.

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