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Correlational findings

Study Fischer (2009b): study ZZ OECD member states 1997 /1

Public
Adults, general public, 30 OECD Countries, 1997-2001
Sample
Respondents
N = 45000
Non Response
not reported
Assessment
Interview: face-to-face

Correlate

Authors's Label
Perceived social mobility in nation
Our Classification
Operationalization
Aggegrate of individuals' perception on social mobility in a nation. A person is defined as perceiving her society as socially mobile if she responds positively to at least one on the following three questions:
a: Confidence in the country's education system
b: Belief that it is possible to escape from poverty
c: Poverty is caused by laziness and lack of will as opposed to bad luck

Observed Relation with Happiness

Happiness Measure Statistics Elaboration / Remarks O-SLW-c-sq-n-10-a b = +.25 p < .01 B's are controlled for:
- national net income per capita
- individual demographic factors
- individual socio-economics factors
- actual income mobility in the nation O-SLW-c-sq-n-10-a b = +.32 p < .01 B controled for:
- educational mobility in the nation
  (instead of income mobility)
  (difference with father's and mother's attainment gave the same results)

B's mean that higher perceived social mobility go with more happiness. Positive effect of perceived social mobility is not affected by different definitions of perceived social mobility (p.36) O-SLW-c-sq-n-10-a b = +.02 p < .01 Interaction of perceived social mobility and actual income inequality before tax: Individuals are the most happy in countries with high perceived social mobility and high income inequality. O-SLW-c-sq-n-10-a b = +.01 ns The relation between perceived social mobility and happiness is not affected by income inequality after tax (final consumption inequality)