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Does Time Fly When You are Having Fun? A Day Reconstruction Method Analysis

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Listed:
  • Vicki Freedman
  • Frederick Conrad
  • Jennifer Cornman
  • Norbert Schwarz
  • Frank Stafford

Abstract

Duration-based measures of happiness from retrospectively constructed daily diaries are gaining in popularity in population-based studies of the hedonic experience. Yet experimental evidence suggests that perceptions of duration—how long an event lasts—are influenced by individuals’ emotional experiences during the event. An important remaining question is whether observational measures of duration outside the laboratory setting, where the events under study are engaged in voluntarily, may be similarly affected, and if so, for which emotions are duration biases a potential concern. This study assesses how duration and emotions co-vary using retrospective, 24-h diaries from a national sample of older couples. Data are from the Disability and Use of Time supplement to the nationally representative U.S. Panel Study of Income Dynamics. We find that experienced wellbeing (positive, negative emotion) and activity duration are inversely associated. Specific positive emotions (happy, calm) are not associated with duration, but all measures of negative wellbeing considered here (frustrated, worried, sad, tired, and pain) have positive correlations (ranging from 0.04 to 0.08; p > .05). However, only frustration remains correlated with duration after controlling for respondent, activity and day-related characteristics (0.06, p > .01). The correlation translates into a potentially upward biased estimate of duration of up to 10 min (20 %) for very frustrating activities. We conclude that estimates of time spent feeling happy yesterday generated from diary data are unlikely to be biased but more research is needed on the link between duration estimation and feelings of frustration. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Vicki Freedman & Frederick Conrad & Jennifer Cornman & Norbert Schwarz & Frank Stafford, 2014. "Does Time Fly When You are Having Fun? A Day Reconstruction Method Analysis," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 639-655, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:15:y:2014:i:3:p:639-655
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-013-9440-0
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. William W. Gould & Jeffrey Pitblado & Brian Poi, 2010. "Maximum Likelihood Estimation with Stata," Stata Press books, StataCorp LP, edition 4, number ml4, March.
    2. Alan B. Krueger, 2007. "Are We Having More Fun Yet? Categorizing and Evaluating Changes in Time Alloction," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 38(2), pages 193-218.
    3. Samantha Dockray & Nina Grant & Arthur Stone & Daniel Kahneman & Jane Wardle & Andrew Steptoe, 2010. "A Comparison of Affect Ratings Obtained with Ecological Momentary Assessment and the Day Reconstruction Method," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 99(2), pages 269-283, November.
    4. Freedman, Vicki A. & Stafford, Frank & Schwarz, Norbert & Conrad, Frederick & Cornman, Jennifer C., 2012. "Disability, participation, and subjective wellbeing among older couples," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(4), pages 588-596.
    5. repec:mpr:mprres:5018 is not listed on IDEAS
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    Cited by:

    1. Viviana Giovinazzo & Marco Novarese, 2016. "The meaning of happiness: attention and time perception," Mind & Society: Cognitive Studies in Economics and Social Sciences, Springer;Fondazione Rosselli, vol. 15(2), pages 207-218, November.

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