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Infectious happiness in heterogeneous social networks: evidence from rural China

Author

Listed:
  • Hang Fang

    (Anhui Agricultural University)

  • Ting Yu

    (Anhui Agricultural University)

  • Michael S Delgado

    (Purdue University)

  • Qianheng Qian

    (China Agricultural University)

Abstract

We investigate infectious effects in happiness using a novel panel of data from a village in China. We construct a complete and heterogeneous social network that includes all households, and use spatial econometric models to estimate the infectious effect. We find that both infectious and contextual effects within social networks are significant for household happiness. Household happiness is not positively influenced by the happiness of the household's closest family, but rather by others from the social network who are not particularly close to the household. We also provide evidence for envy effects between the closest families.

Suggested Citation

  • Hang Fang & Ting Yu & Michael S Delgado & Qianheng Qian, 2024. "Infectious happiness in heterogeneous social networks: evidence from rural China," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 44(3), pages 1188-1195.
    • Handle: RePEc:ebl:ecbull:eb-24-00359
    as

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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fang, Hang & Chen, Qianheng & Delgado, Michael S. & He, Qinying, 2023. "Peer correlations in income: Evidence from a Guanxi network in rural China," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 222(C).
    2. John Knight & Ramani Gunatilaka, 2017. "Is Happiness Infectious?," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 64(1), pages 1-24, February.
    3. Charles F. Manski, 1993. "Identification of Endogenous Social Effects: The Reflection Problem," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 60(3), pages 531-542.
    4. Bramoullé, Yann & Djebbari, Habiba & Fortin, Bernard, 2009. "Identification of peer effects through social networks," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 150(1), pages 41-55, May.
    5. Povey, Richard, 2015. "The welfare economics of infectious happiness," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 1-3.
    6. Semih Tumen & Tugba Zeydanli, 2015. "Is Happiness Contagious? Separating Spillover Externalities from the Group-Level Social Context," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 719-744, June.
    7. Ferrer-i-Carbonell, Ada, 2005. "Income and well-being: an empirical analysis of the comparison income effect," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(5-6), pages 997-1019, June.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Happiness; Infectious Effects; Social Network; China;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D9 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics
    • Z1 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics

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