IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/soinre/v124y2015i3p993-1013.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Priming Effects in Measuring Life Satisfaction

Author

Abstract

Life satisfaction, as an indicator of subjective well-being, has received increasing attention in the recent decades. It has become a potential indicator of development, to be used complementary to objective measures. However, no clear consensus exists on the relationship between life satisfaction and satisfaction with the various domains of life as well as on the measurement of life satisfaction. This paper addresses the relationship between overall life satisfaction and domain satisfaction (DS). The objective is to identify potential biases induced by priming effects when measuring DS. Four types of theoretical models, derived from existing literature, are tested in different scenarios. Data from three waves of the European Quality of Life Surveys are analyzed using a structural equation modeling framework to provide empirical evidence. An original experimental design is employed to demonstrate that priming effects cannot be ignored. A comparison of models including priming effects and those ignoring such biases shows that the former is a better fit and has higher propensity to explain the variations in life satisfaction and DS. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Bogdan Voicu, 2015. "Priming Effects in Measuring Life Satisfaction," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 124(3), pages 993-1013, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:124:y:2015:i:3:p:993-1013
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-014-0818-0
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s11205-014-0818-0
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11205-014-0818-0?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ed Diener, 1994. "Assessing subjective well-being: Progress and opportunities," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 31(2), pages 103-157, February.
    2. Chang-Ming Hsieh, 2008. "The Relative Importance of Health," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 87(1), pages 127-137, May.
    3. Ed Diener & Eunkook Suh, 1997. "Measuring Quality Of Life: Economic, Social, And Subjective Indicators," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 40(1), pages 189-216, January.
    4. Bruce Headey & Ruut Veenhoven & Alex Wearing, 1991. "Top-down versus bottom-up theories of subjective well-being," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 81-100, February.
    5. Joseph Rode & Janet Near, 2005. "Spillover Between Work Attitudes and Overall Life Attitudes: Myth or Reality?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 70(1), pages 79-109, March.
    6. Robert Cummins, 2003. "Normative Life Satisfaction: Measurement Issues and a Homeostatic Model," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 64(2), pages 225-256, November.
    7. Seth Kaplan & Joseph Luchman & Landon Mock, 2013. "General and Specific Question Sequence Effects in Satisfaction Surveys: Integrating Directional and Correlational Effects," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 14(5), pages 1443-1458, October.
    8. Fabio Leonardi & Liana Spazzafumo & Fiorella Marcellini, 2005. "Subjective Well-Being: The Constructionist Point of View. A Longitudinal Study to Verify The Predictive Power of Top-Down Effects and Bottom-Up Processes," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 70(1), pages 53-77, March.
    9. Alex Michalos, 1985. "Multiple discrepancies theory (MDT)," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 16(4), pages 347-413, May.
    10. Bernhard Christoph & Heinz-Herbert Noll, 2003. "Subjective Well-Being in the European Union during the 90ies," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 64(3), pages 521-546, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Chang-ming Hsieh, 2019. "Importance of Health and Relative Importance of Satisfaction with One’s Own Health: A Case of Frail Immigrant Older Adults," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 143(1), pages 81-93, May.
    2. Davillas, Apostolos & de Oliveira, Victor Hugo & Jones, Andrew M., 2023. "Is inconsistent reporting of self-assessed health persistent and systematic? Evidence from the UKHLS," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    3. Clara Viñas-Bardolet & Monica Guillen-Royo & Joan Torrent-Sellens, 2018. "Job characteristics and life satisfaction in Europe: A domains-of-life approach," Working Papers on Innovation Studies 20180412, Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture, University of Oslo.
    4. Lindblom, Arto & Lindblom, Taru & Wechtler, Heidi, 2020. "Dispositional optimism, entrepreneurial success and exit intentions: The mediating effects of life satisfaction," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 230-240.
    5. Clara Viñas-Bardolet & Monica Guillen-Royo & Joan Torrent-Sellens, 2020. "Job Characteristics and Life Satisfaction in the EU: a Domains-of-Life Approach," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 15(4), pages 1069-1098, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Clara Viñas-Bardolet & Monica Guillen-Royo & Joan Torrent-Sellens, 2020. "Job Characteristics and Life Satisfaction in the EU: a Domains-of-Life Approach," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 15(4), pages 1069-1098, September.
    2. Loraine Lavallee & P. Hatch & Alex Michalos & Tara McKinley, 2007. "Development of the Contentment with Life Assessment Scale (CLAS): Using Daily Life Experiences to Verify Levels of Self-Reported Life Satisfaction," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 83(2), pages 201-244, September.
    3. Alexandra Ganglmair-Wooliscroft & Rob Lawson, 2012. "Subjective Wellbeing and its Influence on Consumer Sentiment Towards Marketing: A New Zealand Example," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 13(1), pages 149-166, March.
    4. Emanuele Blasi & Maria Nucera & Clara Cicatiello & Silvio Franco, 2013. "Socio-demographic Components of Eudaimonic Well-Being: A Survey in an Italian Province," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 113(1), pages 451-470, August.
    5. Nicolas Loewe & Mehdi Bagherzadeh & Luis Araya-Castillo & Claudio Thieme & Joan Batista-Foguet, 2014. "Life Domain Satisfactions as Predictors of Overall Life Satisfaction Among Workers: Evidence from Chile," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 118(1), pages 71-86, August.
    6. Clara Viñas-Bardolet & Monica Guillen-Royo & Joan Torrent-Sellens, 2018. "Job characteristics and life satisfaction in Europe: A domains-of-life approach," Working Papers on Innovation Studies 20180412, Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture, University of Oslo.
    7. Jed Blore & Mark Stokes & David Mellor & Lucy Firth & Robert Cummins, 2011. "Comparing Multiple Discrepancies Theory to Affective Models of Subjective Wellbeing," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 100(1), pages 1-16, January.
    8. N. Rickard & D. Vella-Brodrick, 2014. "Changes in Well-Being: Complementing a Psychosocial Approach with Neurobiological Insights," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 117(2), pages 437-457, June.
    9. Paul Dolan & Tessa Peasgood, 2008. "Measuring Well-Being for Public Policy: Preferences or Experiences?," The Journal of Legal Studies, University of Chicago Press, vol. 37(S2), pages 5-31, June.
    10. Fernandes, Liliana & Mendes, Américo & Teixeira, Aurora, 2013. "Assessing child well-being through a new multidimensional child-based weighting scheme index: An empirical estimation for Portugal," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 155-174.
    11. Rashida Haq & Uzma Zia, 2013. "Multidimensional Wellbeing: An Index of Quality of Life in a Developing Economy," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 114(3), pages 997-1012, December.
    12. Joar Vittersø, 2003. "Flow Versus Life Satisfaction: A Projective Use of Cartoons to Illustrate the Difference Between the Evaluation Approach and the Intrinsic Motivation Approach to Subjective Quality of Life," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 4(2), pages 141-167, June.
    13. Cristina Sechel, 2019. "Happier Than Them, but More of Them Are Happy:Aggregating Subjective Well-Being," Working Papers 2019008, The University of Sheffield, Department of Economics.
    14. Sean Moore & Heather Leslie & Carrie Lavis, 2005. "Subjective Well-Being and Life Satisfaction in the Kingdom of Tonga," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 70(3), pages 287-311, February.
    15. Adorée Durayappah, 2011. "The 3P Model: A General Theory of Subjective Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 12(4), pages 681-716, August.
    16. Megan King & Vivian Renó & Evlyn Novo, 2014. "The Concept, Dimensions and Methods of Assessment of Human Well-Being within a Socioecological Context: A Literature Review," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 116(3), pages 681-698, May.
    17. Massimo Aria & Michelangelo Misuraca & Maria Spano, 2020. "Mapping the Evolution of Social Research and Data Science on 30 Years of Social Indicators Research," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 149(3), pages 803-831, June.
    18. Mammen, Sheila & Bauer, Jean W. & Lass, Daniel A., 2009. "Life Satisfaction Over Time Among Rural Low-income Mothers," Working Paper Series 47511, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Department of Resource Economics.
    19. Li, Qian & Stoeckl, Natalie & King, David & Gyuris, Emma, 2017. "Exploring the impacts of coal mining on host communities in Shanxi, China – using subjective data," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 125-134.
    20. Ioana Ramia & Malina Voicu, 2022. "Life Satisfaction and Happiness Among Older Europeans: The Role of Active Ageing," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 160(2), pages 667-687, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:124:y:2015:i:3:p:993-1013. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.