%T If not only GDP, what else? Using relational goods to predict the trends of subjective well-being
%P 199-213
%V 57
%I Springer
%K Happiness; Social capital; Economic growth; Relational goods; Intrinsic motivations; Subjective well-being; Easterlin paradox; Life satisfaction; Sociability
%A Stefano Bartolini
%A Ennio Bilancini
%X 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.
%L eprints3885
%D 2010
%R doi:10.1007/s12232-010-0098-1
%J International Review of Economics
%N 2