Type | Journal Article - Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization |
Title | Does happiness pay?: An exploration based on panel data from Russia |
Author(s) | |
Volume | 55 |
Issue | 3 |
Publication (Day/Month/Year) | 2004 |
Page numbers | 319-342 |
URL | https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jeborg/v55y2004i3p319-342.html |
Abstract | Well-being research has supported the common sense view that income, health, and other factors affect happiness. We use panel data from Russia to assess the reverse causation — that happiness itself affects income, health, and other factors. We find that people who had higher “residual happiness” in 1995 – people who were happier after correcting for the usual determinants of well-being – made more money and were in better health in a survey 5 years later. Psychologists attribute a large part of well-being to factors such as self-esteem and optimism. The same factors appear to influence individuals’ wealth and health. |