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Studies

Easterlin (2014a): study DE East Germany 1990 /1

Publication

Author(s):
Easterlin, R.A.
Title:
Life Satisfaction in the Transition from Socialism to Capitalism.
Source:
Clark, A.E.;Ed.:" Happiness and Economic Growth: Lessons from Developing Countries", Oxford Scholarship Online: 2015, 1 - 24

Investigation

Public
18+ aged, general public, East Germany, 1990-2004
Survey name
DE-SOEP
Sample
Probability multistage stratified area sample
Respondents
N = 200000
Non Response
Assessment
Interview: face-to-face

Happiness Measure(s) and Distributional Findings

Full text:
Self report on single question:

Taking all things together, how satisfied are you with your life these days? Please answer with the help of this scale. For instance, when you are totally satisfied with your life, please tick '10'. When you are totally unsatisfied with your life, please tick '0'. You may use all values in between to indicate that you are neither totally satisfied nor totally unsatisfied."
10 totally satisfied
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0  totally unsatisfied
Classification:
O-SLW-c-sq-n-11-d
Author's label:
Overall life satisfaction
Remarks:
Unweighed average of the whole period 1990-2009 computed by the WDH-team
Page in publication:
3,29
Observed distribution
Summary Statistics
On original range 0 - 10 On range 0-10
Mean:
6.36 6.36
SD:
- -
Full text:
Clinical rating by six staff psychologists who had studied the subjects intensively.

Subjects were ranked for "Happiness"
Classification:
O-V-u-rc-n-5-a
Author's label:
Happiness

Correlational Findings

Author's label Subject Description Finding Political change: before and after the fall of socialism Trend average happiness in general public
Change of political conditions in nation
Trend in happiness Trend average happiness in cities/regions