This collection contains findings on things that go together with more and less happiness, such as income. It involves a very detailed classification of correlates and a large amount of technical detail.

Finding pages

Each correlational finding is summarized on a finding page  in a standard format and standard terminology. Finding pages involve information about:

• the publication in which the finding was reported
• the study design, e.g. population, sampling and way of data gathering
• measure(s) of happiness used, and the observed distribution of responses on these
• the particular correl ate and its measurement, e.g. household income as assessed with a self-estimate
• the observed statistical relation with happiness, e.g. correlation coefficient

Currently, this collection involves some 20.000 such finding pages.

On this site, the collection can be searched in the following ways:

• Correlational findings by subject
  On the search screen you can select correlational findings by the variables of which the relation with happiness was investigated. These ‘subjects’ can be selected in the following ways:
  
  • Subject classification
    This collection involves a detailed categorization of variables used to investigate a relationship with happiness. The classification starts with an alphabetic list of main subjects, the first of which is ‘ACTIVITY’ and the last ‘WORRIES’. Within main subject categories various sub-divisions are made, typically between 1) changes on that matter over time (Development of Activity), the present situation on the matter (e.g. Current activity) and 3) views on the matter (e.g. Attitudes to activity). The classification involves many cross-references to related topics, e.g. from ‘Love-life’ to ‘Marital status’ and back.
    
  • Subject key word
    Often there are more words for the same thing and for that reason synonyms have been added to most of the above subject categories. Hence the collection can also be searched on keyword. The same keyword can sometimes lead to different topics, e.g. the keyword ‘sex’ to Love-life’to ‘Marital relationship’.
    
  • Issue search tree
    The subject classification can also be entered starting from particular issues, such as ‘where one lives’. If you click such an issue a list of related subjects opens, among which e.g. ‘Home’. Clicking further you get finally to topics in the subject classification, e..g. ‘Institutional living’.
    
  • Words in text field ‘operationalization’
    Finding pages involve a description of the correlated variable, typically the full text of questions. These text fields can be searched on words, e.g. with the word ‘spouse’ to find all the variables that have something to do with marriage
    
• Correlational findings by people
  On this site you can also select correlational findings observed in particular populations, such as the general public in a particular country or a special public such as pensioners. This option can be used if you want to explore differences in conditions for happiness.
  
• Correlational  findings by study methods
  You can also select correlational findings obtained in particular kinds of studies. One of the options is to select findings obtained in follow-up studies, which is helpful if you want to get a better view on causality. Another option is to select cross-national studies, which will be helpful in a search for universality of conditions for happiness.
  
• Correlational findings by measure of happiness used
  Another option is to select correlational findings by characteristics of the measure of happiness used. Selecting on conceptual focus will be helpful if you want to explore possible differences in correlation with the affective and the cognitive component of happiness. Comparing on assessment and/or scaling may help to identify method effects in correlations.

Finding reports

Correlational findings are also available in pre-structured finding reports. These reports follow the subject classification. Separate reports present the available finding on main subject categories, such as ‘Education’ and ‘Income’. The reports follow the sub-divisions within these main subject categories, in the case of education e.g. ‘Educational Career, Current Education and ‘Attitudes to education’. The size of these finding reports ranges between 10 and 200 pages. The reports can be saved in pdf and printed as booklets

Save selection

You can save a selection you made using the save-icon at the bottom-right of the search screen, as you can see here