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Car ownership and hedonic adaptation

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  • Emmerling, Johannes
  • Qari, Salmai

Abstract

Using panel data from the UK, we study the long-term effect of purchase decisions of automobiles on individuals’ happiness. We find a significant and sizable decrease in individual happiness in the years after a car purchase. We develop a model of hedonic adaptation that can explain these results. Applying the model to the data indicates a strong degree of habit persistence of around 80%, and that within five years after a purchase, around one third of the happiness increase is dissipated due to hedonic adaptation.

Suggested Citation

  • Emmerling, Johannes & Qari, Salmai, 2017. "Car ownership and hedonic adaptation," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 29-38.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joepsy:v:61:y:2017:i:c:p:29-38
    DOI: 10.1016/j.joep.2017.02.014
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    2. Fengyu Wu, 2020. "An Examination of the Effects of Consumption Expenditures on Life Satisfaction in Australia," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(8), pages 2735-2771, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Hedonic adaptation; Happiness; Habit persistence; Durable consumption goods;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth

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