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Voluntary Activities and Daily Happiness in the US

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  • Gimenez-Nadal, José Ignacio

    (University of Zaragoza)

  • Molina, José Alberto

    (University of Zaragoza)

Abstract

This paper analyzes differences in daily happiness between those individuals in the United States who perform voluntary activities during the day, and those who do not. Using the Well-Being Module of the American Time Use Survey 2010, we initially find that those who devote any time to voluntary activities during the day report higher levels of daily happiness than those who do not. Comparing the happiness obtained from a range of activities, we find that volunteering is among the most enjoyable, indicating that time spent on voluntary activities is utility-enhancing. But when the issue of reverse causality is taken into account, we find no differences in daily happiness between volunteers and non-volunteers, which indicates that happier individuals are also more likely to volunteer. We document that the effect of voluntary activities on the experienced utility of individuals can be decomposed into a "time-composition" effect and a "personality" effect, with the latter explaining between 11% and 46% of the observed difference.

Suggested Citation

  • Gimenez-Nadal, José Ignacio & Molina, José Alberto, 2015. "Voluntary Activities and Daily Happiness in the US," IZA Discussion Papers 8764, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp8764
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    Cited by:

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    2. Echeverría, Lucía & Gimenez-Nadal, José Ignacio & Molina, José Alberto, 2021. "Carpooling: User Profiles and Well-being," IZA Discussion Papers 14736, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Tetsuya Tsurumi & Rintaro Yamaguchi & Kazuki Kagohashi & Shunsuke Managi, 2021. "Are Cognitive, Affective, and Eudaimonic Dimensions of Subjective Well-Being Differently Related to Consumption? Evidence from Japan," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(6), pages 2499-2522, August.
    4. Catherine Deri Armstrong & Rose Anne Devlin & Forough Seifi, 2018. "Doing Good, Feeling Good: Causal Evidence from Canadian Volunteers," Working Papers 1807E, University of Ottawa, Department of Economics.
    5. Echeverría, Lucía & Gimenez-Nadal, J. Ignacio & Molina, José Alberto, 2022. "Green mobility and well-being," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    6. José Ignacio Giménez-Nadal & José Alberto Molina & Jorge Velilla, 2023. "Should We Cheer Together? Gender Differences in Instantaneous Well-being: An Application to COVID-19 Lockdowns," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 529-562, February.
    7. Muñoz, Katherine, 2023. "El nivel de disfrute durante las actividades de cuidado de hijos: Un análisis utilizando datos de la UKTUS 2014-15 [The level of enjoyment during childcare activities: An analysis using data from U," MPRA Paper 117799, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Heng Qu, 2022. "Differential Associations Between Volunteering and Subjective Well-Being by Labor Force Status: An Investigation of Experiential and Evaluative Well-Being Using Time Use Data," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 1737-1770, April.
    9. Magnani, Elisabetta & Zhu, Rong, 2018. "Does kindness lead to happiness? Voluntary activities and subjective well-being," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 20-28.
    10. Adrian Chadi & Clemens Hetschko, 2021. "How Job Changes Affect People's Lives — Evidence from Subjective Well‐Being Data," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 59(2), pages 279-306, June.
    11. Yue Qian & Wen Fan, 2019. "Men and Women at Work: Occupational Gender Composition and Affective Well-Being in the United States," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(7), pages 2077-2099, October.
    12. Magaña, Diego, 2023. "Diferencias de género en el bienestar de los adultos en el Reino Unido (2014-15) [Gender Differences in Adult Wellbeing in the United Kingdom (2014-15)]," MPRA Paper 118560, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Tobias Wolf & Maria Metzing & Richard E. Lucas, 2022. "Experienced Well-Being and Labor Market Status: The Role of Pleasure and Meaning," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 163(2), pages 691-721, September.
    14. Lasierra, Jose Manuel, 2018. "Work and family as factors determining Individual Subjective Well-Being in Spain," MPRA Paper 89404, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Georgellis, Yannis & Roodbari, Hamid & Oraee, Atrina & Akaighe, Godbless Onoriode, 2024. "Beyond the ideal: unravelling the complexities of overqualification, employee volunteering and job satisfaction," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 126277, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    16. Lane, Tom, 2017. "How does happiness relate to economic behaviour? A review of the literature," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 62-78.
    17. Belloc, Ignacio, 2022. "Emprendimiento en entornos rurales: Evidencia con la Encuesta Europea sobre Condiciones Laborales [Entrepreneurship in rural settings: Evidence from the European Working Conditions Survey]," MPRA Paper 111591, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Coniglio, Nicola Daniele & Hoxhaj, Rezart & Lagravinese, Raffaele, 2023. "Crossing Boundaries and Time: An Exploration of Time Allocation, Emotional Well-Being of Immigrants in the United States," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1306, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    19. Daniel S. Hamermesh, 2020. "Life satisfaction, loneliness and togetherness, with an application to Covid-19 lock-downs," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 18(4), pages 983-1000, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    experienced utility; time use survey; voluntary activities;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply

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