IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/soinre/v136y2018i3d10.1007_s11205-016-1482-3.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Use of Poset Theory with Big Datasets: A New Proposal Applied to the Analysis of Life Satisfaction in Italy

Author

Listed:
  • Giulio Caperna

    (University of Padova)

  • Giovanna Boccuzzo

    (University of Padova)

Abstract

The aim of this work is to propose a tool for measuring a complex concept, and to apply it to big sets of data measured on ordinal and/or dichotomous scales. An important field of application are subjective data, that are often based on opinions or personal evaluations. Many national and international surveys employ this kind of data, measured among thousand of individuals. Thanks to the use of the “average rank” as a synthetic measure of a complex concept, we believe that poset theory could be a very useful approach for dealing with ordinal data avoiding the use of scaling procedures. Because classic poset approaches are at their best when applied to few data at a time, our idea is based on a procedure for sampling units from a big population using a simple criterion to summarize the resulting values appropriately. Applying the central limit theorem enables a comparison of the results obtained from different groups using statistical tests on the means. We used our Height of Groups by Sampling (HOGS) method to compare the average rank among groups that are defined by one or more socio-demographic variables influencing the level of the complex concept we wish to measure. The application of the HOGS procedure to life satisfaction in Italy generated convincing results, revealing significant differences between regions, genders and levels of formal education. We compared the results given by HOGS with the non linear principal component analysis and obtain an easy readable output with convincing precision and accuracy; we are confident that the HOGS procedure can be applied to many other concepts investigated in the social sciences.

Suggested Citation

  • Giulio Caperna & Giovanna Boccuzzo, 2018. "Use of Poset Theory with Big Datasets: A New Proposal Applied to the Analysis of Life Satisfaction in Italy," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 136(3), pages 1071-1088, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:136:y:2018:i:3:d:10.1007_s11205-016-1482-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-016-1482-3
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11205-016-1482-3
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11205-016-1482-3?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nicolas Loewe & Mehdi Bagherzadeh & Luis Araya-Castillo & Claudio Thieme & Joan Batista-Foguet, 2014. "Life Domain Satisfactions as Predictors of Overall Life Satisfaction Among Workers: Evidence from Chile," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 118(1), pages 71-86, August.
    2. de Leeuw, Jan & Mair, Patrick, 2009. "Gifi Methods for Optimal Scaling in R: The Package homals," Journal of Statistical Software, Foundation for Open Access Statistics, vol. 31(i04).
    3. Robert Cummins, 1996. "The domains of life satisfaction: An attempt to order chaos," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 38(3), pages 303-328, January.
    4. Mariano Rojas, 2006. "Life satisfaction and satisfaction in domains of life: is it a simple relationship?," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 7(4), pages 467-497, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Margherita Silan & Giulio Caperna & Giovanna Boccuzzo, 2019. "Quantifying Frailty in Older People at an Italian Local Health Unit: A Proposal Based on Partially Ordered Sets," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 146(3), pages 757-782, December.
    2. Flavio Comim, 2021. "A Poset-Generalizability Method for Human Development Indicators," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 158(3), pages 1179-1198, December.
    3. Margherita Silan & Giada Signorin & Elisa Ferracin & Elisabetta Listorti & Teresa Spadea & Giuseppe Costa & Giovanna Boccuzzo, 2022. "Construction of a Frailty Indicator with Partially Ordered Sets: A Multiple-Outcome Proposal Based on Administrative Healthcare Data," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 160(2), pages 989-1017, April.
    4. Comim, Flavio & Hirai, Tadashi, 2022. "Sustainability and Human Development Indicators: A Poset Analysis," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 198(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mariano Rojas & Karen Watkins-Fassler & Lázaro Rodríguez-Ariza, 2022. "The Life Satisfaction of Owner-Manager Entrepreneurs When the Business of Business is not only Business," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 17(4), pages 2251-2275, August.
    2. Chang-ming Hsieh, 2019. "Importance of Health and Relative Importance of Satisfaction with One’s Own Health: A Case of Frail Immigrant Older Adults," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 143(1), pages 81-93, May.
    3. Clara Viñas-Bardolet & Monica Guillen-Royo & Joan Torrent-Sellens, 2020. "Job Characteristics and Life Satisfaction in the EU: a Domains-of-Life Approach," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 15(4), pages 1069-1098, September.
    4. Nadine Häusler & Oliver Hämmig & Matthias Bopp, 2018. "Which Life Domains Impact Most on Self-Rated Health? A Cross-Cultural Study of Switzerland and its Neighbors," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 139(2), pages 787-802, September.
    5. Veljko Jovanović & Mohsen Joshanloo & Dragan Đunda & Ali Bakhshi, 2017. "Gender Differences in the Relationship Between Domain-Specific and General Life Satisfaction: A Study in Iran and Serbia," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 12(1), pages 185-204, March.
    6. Arnstein Aassve & Francesca Luppi & Letizia Mencarini, 2018. "Unlocking the black box of life satisfaction surrounding childbearing," Working Papers 120, "Carlo F. Dondena" Centre for Research on Social Dynamics (DONDENA), Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi.
    7. Clara Viñas-Bardolet & Monica Guillen-Royo & Joan Torrent-Sellens, 2018. "Job characteristics and life satisfaction in Europe: A domains-of-life approach," Working Papers on Innovation Studies 20180412, Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture, University of Oslo.
    8. Susanne Väth & Michael Kirk, 2014. "Do property rights and contract farming matter for rural development? Evidence from a large-scale investment in Ghana," MAGKS Papers on Economics 201416, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Department of Economics (Volkswirtschaftliche Abteilung).
    9. Gentjan Çera & Khurram Ajaz Khan & Jaroslav Belas & Humberto Nuno Rito Ribeiro, 2020. "The Role of Financial Capability and Culture in Financial Satisfaction," Economic Papers, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 39(4), pages 389-406, December.
    10. Jorge Guardiola & Andrés J. Picazo-Tadeo, 2013. "Weighting life domains with Data Envelopment Analysis," Working Papers 1311, Department of Applied Economics II, Universidad de Valencia.
    11. Bénédicte H. Apouey, 2017. "Conditions économiques et définitions subjectives du « bien vieillir »: Résultats d'une enquête quantitative," PSE Working Papers halshs-01475942, HAL.
    12. Carola Hommerich & Tim Tiefenbach, 2018. "Analyzing the Relationship Between Social Capital and Subjective Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Social Affiliation," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 19(4), pages 1091-1114, April.
    13. Mohsen Joshanloo, 2023. "How Stable are Life Domain Evaluations over Time? A 20-Year Study," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 791-812, February.
    14. Susanne Väth & Simone Gobien, 2014. "Life Satisfaction, Contract Farming and Property Rights: Evidence from Ghana," MAGKS Papers on Economics 201415, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Department of Economics (Volkswirtschaftliche Abteilung).
    15. Chang-ming Hsieh, 2013. "Issues in Evaluating Importance Weighting in Quality of Life Measures," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 110(2), pages 681-693, January.
    16. Foramitti, Joël, 2023. "A framework for agent-based models of human needs and ecological limits," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 204(PA).
    17. Sun, Bindong & Liu, Jiahang & Yin, Chun & Cao, Jason, 2022. "Residential and workplace neighborhood environments and life satisfaction: Exploring chain-mediation effects of activity and place satisfaction," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    18. Chang-ming Hsieh, 2018. "Importance Weighting in Client Satisfaction Measures: Lessons from the Life Satisfaction Literature," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 138(1), pages 45-60, July.
    19. Jorge Guardiola & Andrés Picazo-Tadeo, 2014. "Building Weighted-Domain Composite Indices of Life Satisfaction with Data Envelopment Analysis," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 117(1), pages 257-274, May.
    20. Jorge Guardiola & Francisco González-Gómez & Ángel Lendechy Grajales, 2013. "The Influence of Water Access in Subjective Well-Being: Some Evidence in Yucatan, Mexico," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 110(1), pages 207-218, January.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:136:y:2018:i:3:d:10.1007_s11205-016-1482-3. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.