Wealth of Nations, Individual Income and Life Satisfaction in 42 Countries: A Multilevel Approach

In the paper, relation between GDP and subjective well-being, expressed as personal life satisfaction is analysed. On the basis of the European Union data from 2000 to 2009, the so-called Easterlin’s paradox, which claims that life satisfaction stays flat in face of the increasing wealth of nations, is tested. The test is carried out using aggregated country level data on life satisfaction from a Standard Eurobarometer survey and GDP per capita data. Both the cross-country correlation and the within-country trends’ regression analyses show that the GDP level is positively related to the level of life satisfaction. Although the relation is particularly strongly expressed in Eastern European countries, it also stays positive in many more prosperous EU countries. Nevertheless, further studies on factors influencing the shape of relation are necessary to explain exceptions from the relation. The authors also suggest a possible necessity to find more sensitive indicators of life satisfaction to measure it more accurately in the future.

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Big Business and the Wealth of Nations

10.1017/cbo9780511665349 ◽

1997 ◽

Cited By ~ 81

Keyword(s):

Big Business ◽

Wealth Of Nations

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Different Future Time Perspectives Interplay in Predicting Life Satisfaction

GeroPsych ◽

10.1024/1662-9647/a000192 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 31 (3) ◽

pp. 103-113 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Minjie Lu ◽

Angel Y. Li ◽

Helene H. Fung ◽

Klaus Rothermund ◽

Frieder R. Lang

Keyword(s):

Life Satisfaction ◽

Time Perspective ◽

Well Being ◽

Future Time Perspective ◽

Hong Kong Chinese ◽

Future Time ◽

Time Perspectives ◽

Time Extension ◽

Future Self ◽

The Relationship

Abstract. This study addresses prior mixed findings on the relationship between future time perspective (FTP) and well-being as well as examines the associations between three aspects of FTP and life satisfaction in the health and friendship domains. 159 Germans, 97 US Americans, and 240 Hong Kong Chinese, aged 19–86 years, completed a survey on future self-views (valence) and life satisfaction. They also reported the extent to which they perceived future time as expanded vs. limited (time extension) and meaningful (openness). Findings revealed that individuals with more positive future self-views had higher satisfaction. However, those who perceived their future as more meaningful or perceived more time in their future reported higher satisfaction even when future self-views were less positive.

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Social and Temporal Comparisons as Moderators of Psychological Resources Associations With Wellbeing

Journal of Individual Differences ◽

10.1027/1614-0001/a000193 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 37 (2) ◽

pp. 96-104 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Hasida Ben-Zur

Keyword(s):

Life Satisfaction ◽

Positive Affect ◽

Subjective Wellbeing ◽

Social Comparisons ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Psychological Resources ◽

Low Levels ◽

Age Range ◽

General Wellbeing

Abstract. The current study investigated the associations of psychological resources, social comparisons, and temporal comparisons with general wellbeing. The sample included 142 community participants (47.9% men; age range 23–83 years), who compared themselves with others, and with their younger selves, on eight dimensions (e.g., physical health, resilience). They also completed questionnaires assessing psychological resources of mastery and self-esteem, and three components of subjective wellbeing: life satisfaction and negative and positive affect. The main results showed that high levels of psychological resources contributed to wellbeing, with self-enhancing social and temporal comparisons moderating the effects of resources on certain wellbeing components. Specifically, under low levels of mastery or self-esteem self-enhancing social or temporal comparisons were related to either higher life satisfaction or positive affect. The results highlight the role of resources and comparisons in promoting people’s wellbeing, and suggest that self-enhancing comparisons function as cognitive coping mechanisms when psychological resources are low.

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Measurement Invariance of the Serbian Version of the Satisfaction With Life Scale Across Age, Gender, and Time

European Journal of Psychological Assessment ◽

10.1027/1015-5759/a000410 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 35 (4) ◽

pp. 555-563 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Veljko Jovanović

Keyword(s):

Life Satisfaction ◽

Factor Analysis ◽

Confirmatory Factor Analysis ◽

Satisfaction With Life ◽

Satisfaction With Life Scale ◽

Confirmatory Factor ◽

Life Scale ◽

Serbian Version ◽

Age Range ◽

Over Time

Abstract. The present research aimed at examining measurement invariance of the Serbian version of the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) across age, gender, and time. A total sample in Study 1 consisted of 2,595 participants from Serbia, with a mean age of 23.79 years (age range: 14–55 years). The final sample in Study 2 included 333 Serbian undergraduate students ( Mage = 20.81; age range: 20–27 years), who completed the SWLS over periods of 6 and 18 months after the initial assessment. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the modified unidimensional model of the SWLS, with correlated residuals of items 4 and 5 tapping past satisfaction. The results of the multigroup confirmatory factor analysis supported the full scalar invariance across gender and over time and partial scalar invariance across age. Latent mean comparisons revealed that women reported higher life satisfaction than men. Additionally, adolescents reported higher life satisfaction than students and adults, with adults showing the lowest life satisfaction. Our findings indicate that the SWLS allows meaningful comparisons in life satisfaction across age, gender, and over time.

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