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Authentic Happiness Theory Supported by Impact of Religion on Life Satisfaction: A Longitudinal Analysis with Data for Germany

Author

Listed:
  • Headey, Bruce

    (Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research)

  • Schupp, Jürgen

    (DIW Berlin)

  • Tucci, Ingrid

    (University of Göttingen)

  • Wagner, Gert G.

    (Max Planck Institute for Human Development)

Abstract

Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Survey (SOEP), this paper assesses the relationship between life satisfaction and religious practice. The main new result here is longitudinal. It is shown that individuals who become more religious over time record long term gains in life satisfaction, while those who become less religious record long term losses. This result holds net of the effects of personality traits, and also in fixed effects panel models. The paper has significant implications for the dominant, paradigm theory in SWB research, namely set-point theory. This theory holds that the long term SWB of adult individuals is stable, because SWB depends on personality traits and other stable genetic factors. It is already clear from the German panel data that about 20% of the population have recorded large long term changes in SWB. New evidence in this paper and elsewhere about the effects of consciously chosen life goals, including religious ones, on SWB is hard to reconcile with set-point theory. It is more in line with authentic happiness theory.

Suggested Citation

  • Headey, Bruce & Schupp, Jürgen & Tucci, Ingrid & Wagner, Gert G., 2008. "Authentic Happiness Theory Supported by Impact of Religion on Life Satisfaction: A Longitudinal Analysis with Data for Germany," IZA Discussion Papers 3915, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp3915
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    Cited by:

    1. Frank J. Infurna & Denis Gerstorf & Nilam Ram & Jürgen Schupp & Gert G. Wagner, 2011. "Long-Term Antecedents and Outcomes of Perceived Control," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 355, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    2. Tuyen Quang Tran & Thanh Quy Nguyen & Huong Vu & Tinh Thanh Doan, 2017. "Religiosity and Subjective Well-Being Among Old People: Evidence from a Transitional Country," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 12(4), pages 947-962, December.
    3. Van Praag, Bernard M.S. & Romanov, Dmitri & Ferrer-i-Carbonell, Ada, 2010. "Happiness and financial satisfaction in Israel: Effects of religiosity, ethnicity, and war," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 31(6), pages 1008-1020, December.
    4. Silvia Garrido & Ildefonso Méndez & José-María Abellán, 2013. "Analysing the Simultaneous Relationship Between Life Satisfaction and Health-Related Quality of Life," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 14(6), pages 1813-1838, December.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • A12 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Relation of Economics to Other Disciplines
    • A13 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Relation of Economics to Social Values
    • Y80 - Miscellaneous Categories - - Related Disciplines - - - Related Disciplines
    • Z12 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Religion

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