The increasing happiness of US parents

Chris M. Herbst () and John Ifcher ()
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Chris M. Herbst: Arizona State University and IZA
John Ifcher: Santa Clara University

Review of Economics of the Household, 2016, vol. 14, issue 3, No 3, 529-551

Abstract: Abstract Previous research suggests that parents may be less happy than non-parents. We critically assess the literature and examine parents’ and non-parents’ happiness-trends using the General Social Survey (N = 42,298) and DDB Lifestyle Survey (N = 75,237). We find that parents are becoming happier over time relative to non-parents, that non-parents’ happiness is declining absolutely, and that estimates of the parental happiness gap are sensitive to the time-period analyzed. These results are consistent across two datasets, most subgroups, and various specifications. Finally, we present evidence that suggests children appear to protect parents against social and economic forces that may be reducing happiness among non-parents.

Keywords: Parents; Happiness; Life satisfaction; Subjective well-being; General Social Survey (GSS); DDB Lifestyle Survey (LSS) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D10 D60 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (12)

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DOI: 10.1007/s11150-015-9302-0

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