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What are we learning from the life satisfaction literature?

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  • Leonardo Becchetti
  • Alessandra Pelloni

Abstract

The recent availability of cross-sectional and longitudinal survey data on life satisfaction in a large number of countries gives us the opportunity to verify empirically (and not just to assume)what matters for individuals and what economists and policymakers should take into account when trying to promote personal and societal wellbeing. The wide array of econometric findings available in this booming literature display evidence, generally robust to different cultural backgrounds, on the effects of some important happiness drivers (income, unemployment, marital status) which can be co*nsidered “quasi stylized facts” of happiness. If economic policies, for many obvious reasons, cannot maximize self declared life satisfaction as such, we are nonetheless learning a lot from these contributions. In particular, results on the relevance and the risk of crowding out of relational goods, on the revisited inflation/unemployment trade off and, more in general, on the measurement of the shadow value of non market goods obtained with life satisfaction estimates, are conveying relevant information about individual preferences and what is behind utility functions. Such findings suggest us to move beyond anthropological reductionism toward behavioral complexity and to refocus target indicators of economic policies in order to minimize the distance between economic development and human wellbeing.

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  • Leonardo Becchetti & Alessandra Pelloni, "undated". "What are we learning from the life satisfaction literature?," Working Papers 2, Department of the Treasury, Ministry of the Economy and of Finance.
  • Handle: RePEc:itt:wpaper:wp2011-2
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    2. Fiorillo, Damiano & Sabatini, Fabio, 2015. "Structural social capital and health in Italy," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 17(C), pages 129-142.
    3. Hannah C. Silver & Steven B. Caudill & Franklin G. Mixon Jr., 2017. "Human capital and life satisfaction in economic transition," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 25(2), pages 165-184, April.
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    9. Piper, Alan T., 2015. "Sliding down the U-shape? A dynamic panel investigation of the age-well-being relationship, focusing on young adults," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 54-61.
    10. Bartosz Wilczek, 2018. "Media use and life satisfaction: the moderating role of social events," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 65(2), pages 157-184, June.
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    12. Klüh, Ulrich, 2016. "Makroökonomische/Sozialpolitische Perspektiven auf die Sozialpolitik/Makroökonomie [Macroeconomic/Social Policy Perspectives on Social Policy/Macroeconomics]," MPRA Paper 71784, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Jantsch, Antje & Wunder, Christoph & Hirschauer, Norbert, 2016. "Lebensqualität In Deutschland – Ein Vergleich Von Ländlichen Und Städtischen Regionen," 56th Annual Conference, Bonn, Germany, September 28-30, 2016 244798, German Association of Agricultural Economists (GEWISOLA).
    14. M. Azhar Hussain, 2015. "Predicting Well-Being in Europe? The Effect of the Financial Crisis," Eastern European Business and Economics Journal, Eastern European Business and Economics Studies Centre, vol. 1(2), pages 2-31.
    15. Piper, Alan T., 2014. "An Investigation into Happiness, Dynamics and Adaptation," MPRA Paper 57778, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Bruno Frey & Jana Gallus & Lasse Steiner, 2014. "Open issues in happiness research," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 61(2), pages 115-125, June.
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    19. Elias L. Khalil, 2022. "Solving the income-happiness paradox," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 69(3), pages 433-463, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    life satisfaction; shadow value of non market goods; unemployment/inflation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • A13 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Relation of Economics to Social Values
    • D64 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Altruism; Philanthropy; Intergenerational Transfers

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