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Studies

Delhey & Kroll (2012): study ZZ OECD member states 2008

Publication

Author(s):
Delhey, J.; Kroll, C.
Title:
A " Happiness Test" for the New Measures of the National Well-Being: How much Better than GDP are They?
Source:
WZB Discussion Paper SP I 2012-201, 2012, Berlin, Germany

Investigation

Public
18+ aged, general public, OECD member states, 2008
Survey name
INT-WorldValuesSurvey 5
Sample
Probability stratified sample
Respondents
N = 340000
Non Response
Assessment
Interview: face-to-face

Happiness Measure(s) and Distributional Findings

Full text:
Self report on 3 questions

A: All things considered, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you overall with your life as  a whole these days?
   1   dissatisfied
   .
   .
   10 satisfied

B: Here is a picture of a ladder. The '10' at the top of the ladder means the best possible   life you can imagine. The '0' at the bottom of the ladder means the worst possible life you    can imagine. On which place of the ladder is your life as a whole?  Please mark the number that best corresponds with how you feel about your life now.
   10 best possible
   .
   .
   0  the worst life I can imagine

C: Taking all together, how happy would you say you are:
   4  very happy
   3  quite happy
   2  not very happy
   1  not at all happy

Computation: transformed to z-scores and added up
Classification:
M-CO-c-mq-*-10-a
Author's label:
Subjective Well-being
Page in publication:
17
Full text:
Self report on single question:

Here is ladder representing the 'ladder of life'. Let's suppose the top of the ladder represents the best possible life for you; and the bottom, the worst possible life for you. On which step of the ladder do you feel you personally stand at the present time?
10 best possible
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0 worst possible life

This question was followed (not preceded) by items on life 5 years ago and 5 years from now.
Classification:
C-BW-c-sq-l-11-c
Author's label:
Life Contentment
Page in publication:
17
Full text:
Self report on single question:

All things considered, how satisfied are you with your life as-a-whole these days?
1   dissatisfied
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10  satisfied
Classification:
O-SLW-c-sq-n-10-a
Author's label:
Life Satisfaction
Page in publication:
17
Full text:
Self report on single question:

Taking all things together, would you say you are.....?
4  very happy
3  quite happy
2  not very happy
1  not at all happy.
Classification:
O-HL-u-sq-v-4-a
Author's label:
Life Happiness
Page in publication:
17

Correlational Findings

Author's label Subject Description Finding Gross National Income (GNI) Purchasing power (`real' GDP pc) Human Development Index (HDI) Summed nation characteristics
Assumed livability of nation: Conditions deemed beneficial
Satisfaction with single aspects of life in nation
Well-Being Index (WBI) Assumed livability of nation: Conditions deemed beneficial
Satisfaction with single aspects of life in nation
Inequality Adjusted Development Index (I-HDI) Satisfaction with single aspects of life in nation Social Development Index (SDI) Summed nation characteristics
Assumed livability of nation: Conditions deemed beneficial
Weighted Index of Social Progress (WISP) Summed nation characteristics OECD Better Life Index (Better Life) Summed nation characteristics
Assumed livability of nation: Conditions deemed beneficial
Correlations happiness-measurements Overall happiness by overall happiness
O-HL by C-BW
O-SL by C-BW
Contentment and happiness