Measuring Well-Being and Its MultidimensionalDeterminants Across Individuals and the Life Course

研究报告-摘要/摘要 该项目开发和应用方法来比较不同个体的整体个人幸福感， 回答调查问题，要求受访者对福祉的许多方面进行评级。比较不同国家的福祉 个人和群体是许多科学努力的关键输入：（1）使用横截面数据来研究 幸福的决定因素或研究幸福在生命过程中的变化，（2）研究幸福的不平等， 这反过来又是将个人福祉汇总为社会福利衡量标准所必需的，以及（3）量化 考虑到非市场商品时群体优势或劣势的程度。 在比较个人（或群体）之间的总体个人幸福感时，会出现两个关键问题：第一，不同的个人 第二，能够比较任何一对个体A和B需要能够 当A在某些方面的幸福水平较高时， 存在，但B有更高水平的其他方面的福祉。 具体目标1解决量表使用差异：开发和验证方法来比较自我报告的 幸福的各个方面，如情绪，疼痛，以及日常生活中的感知能力，跨个人和跨 以一种调整反应风格和自我报告偏差的系统差异的方式进行分组。 具体目标2解决了当一个人的某些水平较高时如何处理比较的问题。 幸福的各个方面，而另一个人有更高水平的幸福的其他方面：发展理论 一个新的人际可比的福祉措施的基础，符合等效的方法， 福利理论，并适应于使用经验与多维主观幸福感的措施（在 结合具体目标1中的标度使用校正方法）。 具体目标3涉及数据收集，实证分析和理论，以应用这些方法来研究变化， 幸福随着时间的推移和整个生命过程：为了更好地了解的模式，和原因，运动 在生命历程中幸福的不同方面，收集两波关于自我的高度多维数据， 在一项调查中，报告了幸福感的沿着方面以及量表使用校正问题（见具体目标1）， 提供了丰富的补充数据。为这些措施制定一个理论框架， 生命周期行为模型，包括各种各样的活动、投资决策和生活环境。 应用这个框架中的数据来测试新的和现有的关于幸福的决定因素的理论。 生命历程，为什么现有的研究发现在幸福的许多方面的水平中年低谷，以及如何 区分永久性和暂时性的幸福不平等。

RESEARCH PLAN – Summary/Abstract This project develops and applies methods to compare the overall personal well-being of different individuals using answers to survey questions asking respondents to rate many aspects of well-being. Comparing well-being across individuals and groups is a crucial input to many scientific endeavors: (1) using cross-sectional data to study the determinants of well-being or to study changes in well-being over the life course, (2) studying inequality in well-being, which in turn is necessary for aggregating personal well-being into a measure of social welfare, and (3) quantifying the extent of group advantage or disadvantage when nonmarket goods are taken into account. Two key issues arise in comparing overall personal well-being between individuals (or groups): first, different individuals may use the reporting scale differently; second, being able to compare any pair of individuals A and B requires being able to make an assessment of who has higher overall personal well-being when A has a higher level of some aspects of well- being, but B has a higher level of other aspects of well-being. Specific Aim 1 addresses scale-use differences: Develop and validate methods to compare the levels of self-reported aspects of well-being, such as emotions, pain, and perceived capabilities in daily life, across individuals and across groups in a way that adjusts for systematic differences in response styles and self-report biases. Specific Aim 2 addresses the question of how to deal with comparisons when one individual has higher levels of some aspects of well-being, while the other individual has higher levels of other aspects of well-being: Develop the theoretical foundation for a new interpersonally-comparable well-being measure, consistent with the equivalence approach in welfare theory, and adapted to use empirically with multidimensional subjective well-being measures (in conjunction with the scale-use-correction methods in Specific Aim 1). Specific Aim 3 involves data collection, empirical analysis, and theory to apply these methods to studying changes in well-being over time and over the life course: To better understand the patterns of, and reasons for, the movement of different aspects of well-being over the life course, collect two waves of highly multi-dimensional data on self- reported aspects of well-being along with questions for scale-use correction (see Specific Aim 1), on a survey that provides a rich trove of complementary data. Develop a theoretical framework for these measures in an economic model of life-cycle behavior that includes a wide variety of activities, investment decisions, and life circumstances. Apply the data in this framework to test new and existing theories about the determinants of well-being over the life course, why existing research finds a mid-life trough in the levels of many aspects of well-being, and how to distinguish permanent from transitory inequality in well-being.