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Subjective Wellbeing as a Social Indicator

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  • Robert A. Cummins

    (Deakin University)

Abstract

My essay contributes to the 50-year celebration of Bauer’s ‘Social Indicators’ by examining the progress of subjective social indicators. It begins with a description of how the three contributors to this volume, Bauer, Biderman and Gross, viewed subjective indicators, and then examines developments to the present. Of special interest is subjective wellbeing, most particularly as it is understood through the theory of subjective wellbeing homeostasis. The theory is described and the potential use of subjective wellbeing as an indicator, relevant to the development of public policy, is described. I conclude that it is timely for national statistical agencies to consider the adoption of a scale to measure subjective wellbeing.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert A. Cummins, 2018. "Subjective Wellbeing as a Social Indicator," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 135(3), pages 879-891, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:135:y:2018:i:3:d:10.1007_s11205-016-1496-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-016-1496-x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Robert Cummins, 2010. "Subjective Wellbeing, Homeostatically Protected Mood and Depression: A Synthesis," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 1-17, March.
    2. Melanie Davern & Robert Cummins & Mark Stokes, 2007. "Subjective Wellbeing as an Affective-Cognitive Construct," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 8(4), pages 429-449, December.
    3. Andrei Bougrov & Robert Johnson & Benno Ndulo & Pedro Paez & Avinash Persaud & Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul & Akhtar Aziz Zeti & Charles Goodhart & Jomo Kwame Sundaram & Youssef Boutros-Ghali & José Anto, 2010. "The Stiglitz Report," SciencePo Working papers Main hal-03415638, HAL.
      • Andrei Bougrov & Robert Johnson & Benno Ndulo & Pedro Paez & Avinash Persaud & Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul & Akhtar Aziz Zeti & Charles Goodhart & Jomo Kwame Sundaram & Youssef Boutros-Ghali & José Anto, 2010. "The Stiglitz Report," Working Papers hal-03415638, HAL.
    4. Ed Diener, 2006. "Guidelines for National Indicators of Subjective Well-Being and Ill-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 7(4), pages 397-404, November.
    5. Lufanna Lai & Robert Cummins & Anna Lau, 2013. "Cross-Cultural Difference in Subjective Wellbeing: Cultural Response Bias as an Explanation," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 114(2), pages 607-619, November.
    6. Adrian Tomyn & Robert Cummins, 2011. "Subjective Wellbeing and Homeostatically Protected Mood: Theory Validation With Adolescents," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 12(5), pages 897-914, October.
    7. Bentham, Jeremy, 1781. "An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation," History of Economic Thought Books, McMaster University Archive for the History of Economic Thought, number bentham1781.
    8. Robert Cummins & Helen Nistico, 2002. "Maintaining Life Satisfaction: The Role of Positive Cognitive Bias," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 37-69, March.
    9. Anna Lau & Robert Cummins & Wenda Mcpherson, 2005. "An Investigation into the Cross-Cultural Equivalence of the Personal Wellbeing Index," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 72(3), pages 403-430, July.
    10. Adrian Tomyn & Melissa Weinberg & Robert Cummins, 2015. "Intervention Efficacy Among ‘At Risk’ Adolescents: A Test of Subjective Wellbeing Homeostasis Theory," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 120(3), pages 883-895, February.
    11. Nathan Caplan & Eugenia Barton, 1978. "The potential of social indicators: Minimum conditions for impact at the national level as suggested by a study of the use of ‘social indicators’ 73," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 5(1), pages 427-456, March.
    12. Robert Cummins & Ning Li & Mark Wooden & Mark Stokes, 2014. "A Demonstration of Set-Points for Subjective Wellbeing," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 15(1), pages 183-206, February.
    13. Zhenghui Chen & Gareth Davey, 2008. "Normative Life Satisfaction in Chinese Societies," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 89(3), pages 557-564, December.
    14. Jed Blore & Mark Stokes & David Mellor & Lucy Firth & Robert Cummins, 2011. "Comparing Multiple Discrepancies Theory to Affective Models of Subjective Wellbeing," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 100(1), pages 1-16, January.
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    Cited by:

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    3. Fabrizio Maturo & Antonio Balzanella & Tonio Di Battista, 2019. "Building Statistical Indicators of Equitable and Sustainable Well-Being in a Functional Framework," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 146(3), pages 449-471, December.
    4. Prakash, Kushneel & Awaworyi Churchill, Sefa & Smyth, Russell, 2020. "Petrol prices and subjective wellbeing," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    5. Florence Jany‐Catrice, 2022. "A political economy of social impact measurement," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 93(2), pages 267-291, June.
    6. Phil Lignier & Diane Jarvis & Daniel Grainger & Taha Chaiechi, 2024. "Spatial Heterogeneity and Subjective Wellbeing: Exploring the Role of Social Capital in Metropolitan Areas Using Multilevel Modelling," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 25(5), pages 1-23, June.
    7. Phil Lignier & Diane Jarvis & Daniel Grainger & Taha Chaiechi, 2024. "How Selective Mobility, Social and Ecological Influence may Impact Geographic Variations in Life Satisfaction Scores: An Australian Longitudinal Study," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 173(3), pages 803-826, July.
    8. Awaworyi Churchill, Sefa & Smyth, Russell & Farrell, Lisa, 2020. "Fuel poverty and subjective wellbeing," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    9. Sara Miñarro & Victoria Reyes-García & Shankar Aswani & Samiya Selim & Christopher P Barrington-Leigh & Eric D Galbraith, 2021. "Happy without money: Minimally monetized societies can exhibit high subjective well-being," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(1), pages 1-15, January.

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