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What can happiness research tell us about altruism? Evidence from the German Socio-Economic Panel

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Author Info
Johannes Schwarze (University of Bamberg)
Rainer Winkelmann () (Socioeconomic Institute, University of Zurich)

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Abstract

Much progress has been made in recent years on developing and applying a direct measure of utility using survey questions on subjective well-being. In this paper we explore whether this new type of measurement can be fruitfully applied to the study of interdependent utility in general, and altruism between parents and adult children who moved away from home in particular. We introduce an appropriate econometric methodology and, using data from the German SocioEconomic Panel for the years 2000-2004, find that the parents’ self-reported happiness depends positively on the happiness of their adult children. A one standard deviation move in the child’s happiness has the same effect as a 45 percent move in household income.

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File URL: http://www.soi.uzh.ch/research/wp/2005/wp0503.pdf
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File Function: Revised version, 2005
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Publisher Info
Paper provided by University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute in its series Working Papers with number 0503.

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Length: 26 pages
Date of creation: Feb 2005
Date of revision: Sep 2005
Handle: RePEc:soz:wpaper:0503

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Related research
Keywords: utility interdependence; sympathy; extended family; fixed effects;

Other versions of this item:

Find related papers by JEL classification:
D6 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics
D64 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Altruism
C25 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Discrete Regression and Qualitative Choice Models
J10 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - General

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Gary S. Becker, 1974. "A Theory of Social Interactions," NBER Working Papers 0042, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  2. Mundlak, Yair, 1978. "On the Pooling of Time Series and Cross Section Data," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 46(1), pages 69-85, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Blanchflower, David G. & Oswald, Andrew J., 2004. "Well-being over time in Britain and the USA," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(7-8), pages 1359-1386, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  4. Joseph G. Altonji & Fumio Hayashi & Laurence J. Kotlikoff, 1993. "Is the Extended Family Altruistically Linked? Direct Tests Using Micro Data," NBER Working Papers 3046, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  5. Phelps, Charlotte D., 2001. "A clue to the paradox of happiness," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 45(3), pages 293-300, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Paul Frijters & John P. Haisken-DeNew & Michael A. Shields, 2004. "Money Does Matter! Evidence from Increasing Real Income and Life Satisfaction in East Germany Following Reunification," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(3), pages 730-740, June. [Downloadable!]
  7. Bruno S. Frey & Alois Stutzer, 2002. "What Can Economists Learn from Happiness Research?," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 40(2), pages 402-435, June.
    Other versions:
  8. Winkelmann, Rainer, 2004. "Subjective Well-Being and the Family: Results from an Ordered Probit Model with Multiple Random Effects," IZA Discussion Papers 1016, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
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  9. Alois Stutzer & Bruno S. Frey, . "Does Marriage Make People Happy, Or Do Happy People Get Married?," IEW - Working Papers iewwp143, Institute for Empirical Research in Economics - IEW. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  10. Becker, Gary S, 1981. "Altruism in the Family and Selfishness in the Market Place," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 48(189), pages 1-15, February.
  11. Peter Egger & Michael Pfaffermayr, 2002. "Long Run and Short Effects in Static Panel Models," 10th International Conference on Panel Data, Berlin, July 5-6, 2002 B6-2, International Conferences on Panel Data. [Downloadable!]
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  14. Michael A. Shields & Stephen Wheatley Price, 2005. "Exploring the economic and social determinants of psychological well-being and perceived social support in England," Journal Of The Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 168(3), pages 513-537. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  15. Clark, Andrew E & Oswald, Andrew J, 1994. "Unhappiness and Unemployment," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 104(424), pages 648-59, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Martin Spieß & Martin Kroh & Rainer Pischner & Gert G. Wagner, 2008. "On the Treatment of Non-Original Sample Members in the German Household Panel Study (SOEP) Tracing, Weighting, and Frequencies," Data Documentation 30, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    Other versions:
  2. Jose Alberto Molina & Maria Navarro & Ian Walker, 2007. "Mums and their sons; Dads and their daughters: Panel Data Evidence of Parental Altruism across 14 EU Countries," Working Papers 200721, Geary Institute, University College Dublin. [Downloadable!]
  3. Rainer Winkelmann, 2006. "Unemployment, Social Capital, and Subjective Well-Being," IZA Discussion Papers 2346, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. José Alberto Molina & María Navarro & Ian Walker, 2007. "Mums and Their Sons, Dads and Their Daughters: Panel Data Evidence of Interdependent Marginal Utilities across 14 EU Countries," IZA Discussion Papers 2734, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  5. Sandra Hanslin, 2008. "The effect of trade openness on optimal government size under endogenous firm entry," Working Papers 0802, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
  6. Johannes Schoder & Peter Zweifel, 2008. "Managed Care Konzepte und Lösungsansätze– Ein internationaler Vergleich aus schweizerischer Sicht," Working Papers 0801, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
  7. Inmaculada García & José Molina & María Navarro, 2007. "How Satisfied are Spouses with their Leisure Time? Evidence from Europe," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 28(4), pages 546-565, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Dennis Gaertner, 2007. "Monopolistic Screening under Learning By Doing," Working Papers 0718, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
  9. Inmaculada García & Jose Alberto Molina & María Navarro, 2007. "Modelling interdependences between spouses by estimating income satisfaction," Economics Bulletin, Economics Bulletin, vol. 4(10), pages 1-5. [Downloadable!]
  10. Adrian Bruhin, 2008. "Stochastic Expected Utility and Prospect Theory in a Horse Race: A Finite Mixture Approach," Working Papers 0803, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
  11. Dennis Gaertner, 2007. "Why Bayes Rules: A Note on Bayesian vs. Classical Inference in Regime Switching Models," Working Papers 0719, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
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