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Relative status and satisfaction

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  • Boes, Stefan
  • Staub, Kevin
  • Winkelmann, Rainer

Abstract

This paper studies the effect of income rank on satisfaction. We hypothesize that a person's satisfaction depends on a comparison of own rank and rank of one's parents. Estimates using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel support the relative rank hypothesis.

Suggested Citation

  • Boes, Stefan & Staub, Kevin & Winkelmann, Rainer, 2010. "Relative status and satisfaction," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 109(3), pages 168-170, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:109:y:2010:i:3:p:168-170
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    1. Andrew E. Clark & Paul Frijters & Michael A. Shields, 2008. "Relative Income, Happiness, and Utility: An Explanation for the Easterlin Paradox and Other Puzzles," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 46(1), pages 95-144, March.
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    6. McBride, Michael, 2001. "Relative-income effects on subjective well-being in the cross-section," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 45(3), pages 251-278, July.
    7. Karen E. Dynan & Enrichetta Ravina, 2007. "Increasing Income Inequality, External Habits, and Self-Reported Happiness," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 97(2), pages 226-231, May.
    8. Ferrer-i-Carbonell, Ada, 2005. "Income and well-being: an empirical analysis of the comparison income effect," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(5-6), pages 997-1019, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Guadalupe Manzano-García & Juan-Carlos Ayala-Calvo, 2020. "Entrepreneurial Orientation: Its Relationship with the Entrepreneur’s Subjective Success in SMEs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-17, June.
    2. Roberta Distante, 2013. "Subjective Well-Being, Income and Relative Concerns in the UK," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 113(1), pages 81-105, August.
    3. Christian Grund & Johannes Martin, 2017. "Monetary Reference Points of Managers – Empirical Evidence of Status Quo Preferences and Social Comparisons," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 64(1), pages 70-87, February.
    4. Michele Sennhauser, 2009. "Why the Linear Utility Function is a Risky Choice in Discrete-Choice Experiments," SOI - Working Papers 1014, Socioeconomic Institute - University of Zurich.
    5. Pfaff, Tobias, 2013. "Income comparisons, income adaptation, and life satisfaction: How robust are estimates from survey data?," CIW Discussion Papers 5/2013, University of Münster, Center for Interdisciplinary Economics (CIW).
    6. Robin Samuel & Manfred Bergman & Sandra Hupka-Brunner, 2013. "The Interplay between Educational Achievement, Occupational Success, and Well-Being," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 111(1), pages 75-96, March.
    7. Polk, Andreas & Schmutzler, Armin & Müller, Adrian, 2014. "Lobbying and the power of multinational firms," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 209-227.
    8. Lekfuangfu, Warn N. & Odermatt, Reto, 2022. "All I have to do is dream? The role of aspirations in intergenerational mobility and well-being," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    9. Bille, Trine & Fjællegaard, Cecilie Bryld & Frey, Bruno S. & Steiner, Lasse, 2013. "Happiness in the arts—International evidence on artists’ job satisfaction," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 121(1), pages 15-18.
    10. Sasaki, Shusaku & Kurokawa, Hirofumi & Ohtake, Fumio, 2019. "Positive and negative effects of social status on longevity: Evidence from two literary prizes in Japan," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 1-1.
    11. Martin Carree & Ingrid Verheul, 2012. "What Makes Entrepreneurs Happy? Determinants of Satisfaction Among Founders," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 13(2), pages 371-387, April.
    12. Tobias Pfaff, 2013. "Income Comparisons, Income Adaptation, and Life Satisfaction: How Robust Are Estimates from Survey Data?," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 555, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    13. Costanza Naguib, 2022. "Financial Turmoil and Earnings Mobility," Diskussionsschriften dp2208, Universitaet Bern, Departement Volkswirtschaft.
    14. Grund, Christian & Martin, Johannes, 2012. "Monetary Reference Points of Managers: An Empirical Investigation of Status Quo Preferences and Social Comparisons," IZA Discussion Papers 7097, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    15. Kalenborn, Christine & Lessmann, Christian, 2014. "Regional Income Inequality lowers Life Satisfaction: Evidence from OECD Countries," VfS Annual Conference 2014 (Hamburg): Evidence-based Economic Policy 100561, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Happiness Income norms Subjective well-being;

    JEL classification:

    • D62 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Externalities
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being

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