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Correlational findings

Study Helliwell et al. (2018): study ZZ World samples 2005 /1

Public
Survey name
Gallup poll
Sample
Respondents
N = 900000
Non Response
Assessment
Interview: face-to-face

Correlate

Authors's Label
Social support
Our Classification
Remarks
Source: Gallup World Poll Binary responses assumed.
Distribution
M=0,82  SD=0,12
Related specification variables
Operationalization
National average of self-reports for the question, "If you were in trouble, do you have relatives or friends you can count on to help you whenever you need them, or not?"

Observed Relation with Happiness

Happiness Measure Statistics Elaboration / Remarks C-BW-c-sq-l-11-c b = +2.1 p < .01 AVERAGE happiness by AVERAGE democratic quality in 154 nations in the period 2005-2012 (n=776).
- Without country fixed effects
C-BW-c-sq-l-11-c b = +1.5 p < .01 - With country fixed effects C-BW-c-sq-l-11-c b = +1.5 p < .01 Countries with high delivery quality (greater than 0) (n=303) C-BW-c-sq-l-11-c b = +1.5 p < .01 Countries with low delivery quality (lower than 0) (n=473)

b controls for:
- democratic quality
- delivery quality
- log GDP per capita
- healthy life expectancy
- freedom to make life choices
- generosity
- year fixed effects

Similar patterns are obtained when b additionally controls for:
- Regional fixed effects
C-BW-c-sq-l-11-c b = 2.5 p < .01 Regression with 2005-2012 country averages.

b controls for:
- democratic quality
- delivery quality
- log GDP per capita
- healthy life expectancy
- freedom to make life choices
- generosity

A similar result is obtained when b controls for:
- regional fixed effects
C-BW-c-sq-l-11-c b = +1.7 p < .01 AVERAGE happiness by AVERAGE democratic quality in 146 nations in the period 2005-2012 (n=696).

b controls for:
- Confidence in the national government (Gallup)
- Logged GDP
- Democratic quality
- Delivery quality
- Country fixed effects
- Year fixed effects
- Freedom to make life choices
- Social support

Similar results are obtained when some controls are removed.

In sum: Social support has a positive effect on life satisfaction.