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Voluntary Activities And Daily Happiness In The United States

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  • J. Ignacio Gimenez-Nadal
  • Jose Alberto Molina

Abstract

type="main" xml:id="ecin12227-abs-0001"> This article analyzes differences in daily happiness between those individuals in the United States who perform voluntary activities during the day and those who do not. Using the Well-Being Module of the American Time Use Survey 2010, we find that those who devote any time to voluntary activities during the day report higher levels of daily happiness than those who do not. Comparing the happiness obtained from a range of activities, we find that volunteering is among the most enjoyable, indicating that time spent on voluntary activities is utility-enhancing. We document that the effect of voluntary activities on the experienced utility of individuals can be decomposed into a “time-composition” effect and an “activity” effect, with the latter explaining between 11% and 46% of the observed difference . ( JEL D13, J16, J22)

Suggested Citation

  • J. Ignacio Gimenez-Nadal & Jose Alberto Molina, 2015. "Voluntary Activities And Daily Happiness In The United States," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 53(4), pages 1735-1750, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ecinqu:v:53:y:2015:i:4:p:1735-1750
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    Cited by:

    1. Echeverría, Lucía & Gimenez-Nadal, José Ignacio & Molina, José Alberto, 2021. "Carpooling: User Profiles and Well-being," IZA Discussion Papers 14736, IZA Network @ LISER.
    2. Lasierra, Jose Manuel, 2018. "Work and family as factors determining Individual Subjective Well-Being in Spain," MPRA Paper 89404, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Adrian Chadi & Clemens Hetschko, 2021. "How Job Changes Affect People's Lives — Evidence from Subjective Well‐Being Data," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 59(2), pages 279-306, June.
    4. Thi Truong An Hoang & Andreas Knabe, 2021. "Time Use, Unemployment, and Well-Being: An Empirical Analysis Using British Time-Use Data," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(6), pages 2525-2548, August.
    5. José Ignacio Giménez-Nadal & José Alberto Molina & Jorge Velilla, 2023. "Should We Cheer Together? Gender Differences in Instantaneous Well-being: An Application to COVID-19 Lockdowns," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 529-562, February.
    6. Hamermesh, Daniel S., 2020. "Lockdowns, Loneliness and Life Satisfaction," IZA Discussion Papers 13140, IZA Network @ LISER.
    7. Nicola Daniele Coniglio & Rezart Hoxhaj & Raffaele Lagravinese, 2025. "Crossing Boundaries and Time: An Exploration of Time Allocation and Emotional Well-Being of Immigrants in the United States," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 179(2), pages 689-722, September.
    8. Magaña, Diego, 2023. "Diferencias de género en el bienestar de los adultos en el Reino Unido (2014-15) [Gender Differences in Adult Wellbeing in the United Kingdom (2014-15)]," MPRA Paper 118560, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Echeverría, Lucía & Gimenez-Nadal, J. Ignacio & Molina, José Alberto, 2022. "Green mobility and well-being," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    10. Yue Qian & Wen Fan, 2019. "Men and Women at Work: Occupational Gender Composition and Affective Well-Being in the United States," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(7), pages 2077-2099, October.
    11. Georgellis, Yannis & Roodbari, Hamid & Akaighe, Godbless Onoriode & Oraee, Atrina, 2025. "Beyond the ideal: unravelling the complexities of overqualification, employee volunteering and job satisfaction," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 126277, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    12. Daniel S. Hamermesh, 2020. "Life satisfaction, loneliness and togetherness, with an application to Covid-19 lock-downs," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 18(4), pages 983-1000, December.
    13. Lane, Tom, 2017. "How does happiness relate to economic behaviour? A review of the literature," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 62-78.
    14. Tetsuya Tsurumi & Rintaro Yamaguchi & Kazuki Kagohashi & Shunsuke Managi, 2021. "Correction to: Are Cognitive, Affective, and Eudaimonic Dimensions of Subjective Well-Being Differently Related to Consumption? Evidence from Japan," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(6), pages 2523-2523, August.
    15. Tobias Wolf & Maria Metzing & Richard E. Lucas, 2022. "Experienced Well-Being and Labor Market Status: The Role of Pleasure and Meaning," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 163(2), pages 691-721, September.
    16. Juan Carlos Campaña & J. Ignacio Giménez-Nadal & José Alberto Molina, 2020. "Self-employed and Employed Mothers in Latin American Families: Are There Differences in Paid Work, Unpaid Work, and Child Care?," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 41(1), pages 52-69, March.
    17. Belloc, Ignacio, 2022. "Emprendimiento en entornos rurales: Evidencia con la Encuesta Europea sobre Condiciones Laborales [Entrepreneurship in rural settings: Evidence from the European Working Conditions Survey]," MPRA Paper 111591, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. José Ignacio Giménez-Nadal & José Alberto Molina & Jorge Velilla, 2025. "Work from home, time allocation, and well-being: the impact of lockdowns," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 505-549, June.
    19. Chomali, Laura & Campaña, Juan Carlos & Molina, José Alberto, 2026. "Foodwork and working from home: Time allocation of Latin American couples," MPRA Paper 128883, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. Catherine Deri Armstrong & Rose Anne Devlin & Forough Seifi, 2018. "Doing Good, Feeling Good: Causal Evidence from Canadian Volunteers," Working Papers 1807E, University of Ottawa, Department of Economics.
    21. Heng Qu, 2022. "Differential Associations Between Volunteering and Subjective Well-Being by Labor Force Status: An Investigation of Experiential and Evaluative Well-Being Using Time Use Data," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 1737-1770, April.
    22. Magnani, Elisabetta & Zhu, Rong, 2018. "Does kindness lead to happiness? Voluntary activities and subjective well-being," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 20-28.
    23. Kleine, Jens & Peschke, Thomas & Wagner, Niklas, 2024. "Beyond financial wealth: The experienced utility of collectibles," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    24. Coniglio, Nicola Daniele & Hoxhaj, Rezart & Lagravinese, Raffaele, 2023. "Crossing Boundaries and Time: An Exploration of Time Allocation, Emotional Well-Being of Immigrants in the United States," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1306, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    25. Muñoz, Katherine, 2023. "El nivel de disfrute durante las actividades de cuidado de hijos: Un análisis utilizando datos de la UKTUS 2014-15 [The level of enjoyment during childcare activities: An analysis using data from UKTUS 2014-15]," MPRA Paper 117799, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply

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