Measuring Subjective Well-being Capability: A Multi-Country Empirical Analysis in Europe

Tomasz Kwarciński (), Paweł Ulman and Julia Wdowin
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Tomasz Kwarciński: Krakow University of Economics
Paweł Ulman: Krakow University of Economics
Julia Wdowin: University of Cambridge

Applied Research in Quality of Life, 2024, vol. 19, issue 5, No 17, 2555-2593

Abstract: Abstract The main aim of this paper is to conceptualise and empirically estimate subjective well-being capability. The empirical demonstration of the conceptual framework is applied in a selection of European countries: Poland and its leading emigration destinations the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland, France and Italy. The paper advances the measure of subjective well-being capability (SWC) as the integration of the subjective well-being measure with the capability approach in a unified measurement framework. Following the development of a conceptual model, the theoretical framework is operationalized empirically to quantify measures of SWC across the selected countries using a Multiple Indicators and Multiple Causes Model. Data from the European Quality of Life Survey is employed. A comparative analysis compares the SWC measures across countries as well as comparing SWC with conventional well-being measures such as overall happiness and GDP per capita. The results of the study reveal a significant correlation between the SWC based on a general model for all countries, overall happiness, and GDP per capita. However, it also suggests that country-specific SWCs, calculated from tailored models, could substantially deviate from traditional well-being measurements. This attribute suggests that SWC could be a practical tool for assessing individual contexts, as reflected in the tailored models, even though it might not serve as the optimal instrument for country ranking (via the general MIMIC model).

Keywords: Subjective well-being; Capabilities; Happiness; MIMIC (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1007/s11482-024-10334-9

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