How much should we trust life satisfaction data? Evidence from the Life in Transition Survey

摘要

We analyse responses to two similar life satisfaction questions asked at different points in the same wave of a major cross-country household survey covering the transition region, Turkey and five Western European countries. We show that while the answers to the two questions are broadly consistent for most people, the responses for some groups differ significantly. Respondents of a lower socio-economic status and with a more favourable parental background show systematically higher levels of self-reported satisfaction in the later question. We also find evidence that responses to the later question are influenced by preceding questions on social capital. Our results have important implications for the design and length of household surveys that contain subjective questions. Journal of Comparative Economics 44 (3) (2016) 720-731. European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, One Exchange Square, London EC2A 2JN, UK. (C) 2016 Association for Comparative Economic Studies. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.