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Correlational findings

Study Dekker (2007): study ZZ EU 25 2001

Public
15+ aged, general public, EU 25 member states, 2001-2006
Sample
Respondents
N = 25
Non Response
Assessment
Interview: face-to-face

Correlate

Authors's Label
Estimated development personal situation in last five years
Our Classification
Distribution
Minimum: -20; maximum +52 (range 0-100)
Operationalization
If you compare your actual personal situation with your personal situation five years ago, would you say your personal situation has improved, deteriorated, or remained unchanged?
1: deteriorared
2: remained unchanged
3: improved

Computation: % of people estimating their personal situation has improved in the past 5 years (score 3), minus % of people estimating their personal situation has deteriorated (score 1).

Observed Relation with Happiness

Happiness Measure Statistics Elaboration / Remarks O-SLL-u-sq-v-4-a r = +.61 p < .001 % happy by % (3-1)

Figure 1 shows relationship between surplus % people perceiving an improvement in the past 5 years instead of deterioration (horizontally; six nations have a negative score) and surplus % of people expecting an improvement in the next 5 years instead of deterioration (vertically, no negative scores). (r=0,84; p<0,01; n=25)

The dots represent nations; the size of the dots represents % happy people in these nations.