A Note on Empirical Studies of Life-Satisfaction: Unhappy with Semiparametrics?

Setareh Ranjbar and Stefan Sperlich ()
Additional contact information
Setareh Ranjbar: HEC Lausanne
Stefan Sperlich: University of Geneva

Journal of Happiness Studies, 2020, vol. 21, issue 6, No 13, 2193-2212

Abstract: Abstract This article deals with the modeling of life-satisfaction, and estimating the impact of age on it. We investigate how findings and the interpretation of empirical studies hinge on the respectively assumed model. Assuming a specific model comprises various hypothesis made on the data generating process, like indicator selection, measurement, or functional form specifications. In this study we focus on the latter two issues. In particular, we show how different response behaviors (optimistic, pessimistic, extreme averse, etc.) lead to seemingly contradictory conclusions if the researcher does not address them adequately. In fact, we show that one can reproduce any shape found in the literature simply by modifying the way respondents rank life satisfaction on a bounded scale.

Keywords: Life-satisfaction analysis; Causality versus data fit; Subjective well-being; Model misspecification; Bias transfer in semiparametric models (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10902-019-00165-z Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:21:y:2020:i:6:d:10.1007_s10902-019-00165-z

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer. ... fe/journal/10902/PS2

DOI: 10.1007/s10902-019-00165-z

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Happiness Studies is currently edited by Antonella Delle Fave

More articles in Journal of Happiness Studies from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().