relation: http://eprints.imtlucca.it/3885/
title: If not only GDP, what else? Using relational goods to predict the trends of subjective well-being
creator: Bartolini, Stefano
creator: Bilancini, Ennio
subject: HC Economic History and Conditions
description: In the last decade, a lively interdisciplinary discussion has grown around the evidence that, in the long-run, people’s subjective well-being is not significantly correlated with income growth. In other words, GDP growth does not predict the long run growth of subjective well-being. In this paper, we argue that there exists a different predictor of subjective well-being that works pretty well: sociability, i.e. the quality and quantity of social relationships (also referred to as relational goods). More precisely, we illustrate the role of sociability as a predictor of well-being, presenting the available evidence at both the within-country and the worldwide level. In particular, we discuss recent evidence from US cross-sectional data (General Social Survey, 1975–2004), cross-country time series (World Value Survey 1980–2005), and German panel data (German Socio-Economic Panel, 1996–2007). We conclude by indicating the most relevant open issues and suggesting future lines of research.
publisher: Springer
date: 2010
type: Article
type: PeerReviewed
identifier:   Bartolini, Stefano and Bilancini, Ennio  If not only GDP, what else? Using relational goods to predict the trends of subjective well-being.  International Review of Economics, 57 (2).  pp. 199-213.  ISSN 1865-1704      (2010)  
relation: http://doi.org/10.1007/s12232-010-0098-1
relation: doi:10.1007/s12232-010-0098-1