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Counting happiness from the individual level to the group level

Author

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  • Beja Jr, Edsel
  • Yap, David B.

Abstract

The development of a reliable procedure for the aggregation of individual level happiness leads to a proper understanding of group level happiness. Such a procedure is indispensable for a more responsive public policy-making. However, individual self-reports on happiness must meet the dual requirements of cardinality and relative interpersonal comparability in order that aggregation is not problematic and the resulting measure not only makes sense but also useful for group level interventions. The paper demonstrates the procedure for obtaining group level happiness using data from the Philippines.

Suggested Citation

  • Beja Jr, Edsel & Yap, David B., 2012. "Counting happiness from the individual level to the group level," MPRA Paper 40214, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:40214
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Edsel L. Beja Jr., 2019. "Maximizing Versus Satisficing: Negative Correlation Between Maximizing Attitude and School Domain Satisfaction," The American Economist, Sage Publications, vol. 64(1), pages 95-101, March.
    2. Edsel Beja, 2015. "The Focusing Illusion and Happiness: Evidence Using College Basketball Championship," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 121(3), pages 873-885, April.
    3. Beja, Edsel Jr., 2019. "Consumer Expectations Survey and Quarterly Social Weather Survey: Evidence of Convergent Validity and Causality," MPRA Paper 101074, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Cardinality; relative interpersonal comparability; aggregation; individual level happiness; group level happiness;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I30 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General
    • C40 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - General
    • I00 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - General - - - General
    • D60 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - General
    • C80 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Data Collection and Data Estimation Methodology; Computer Programs - - - General

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