Subjective Well-Being: Keeping Up with the Perception of the Joneses

Cahit Guven () and Bent Sorensen

Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, 2012, vol. 109, issue 3, 439-469

Abstract: Using data from the US General Social Survey 1972–2004, we study the role of perceptions and status in self-reported happiness. Reference group income negatively relates to own happiness and high perceptions about own relative income, quality of dwelling, and social class relate positively and very significantly to happiness. Perceptions about income and status matter more for females, and for low income, conservative, more social, and less trusting individuals. Dwelling perceptions matter more for males, and for middle income, married, conservative, more social, and less trusting individuals. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2012

Keywords: Happiness; Social comparison; Status; Perceptions; D14; D63; I31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (34)

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DOI: 10.1007/s11205-011-9910-x

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