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ERIC Number: EJ944104
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Dec
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0303-8300
EISSN: N/A
Relative Income and Happiness in Asia: Evidence from Nationwide Surveys in China, Japan, and Korea
Oshio, Takashi; Nozaki, Kayo; Kobayashi, Miki
Social Indicators Research, v104 n3 p351-367 Dec 2011
This study attempts to examine relative income effects on perceived happiness in three major Asian countries--China, Japan, and Korea--in comparison with the United Sates, on the basis of largely comparable nationwide surveys in these countries. Consistent with the results from previous studies in Western countries, comparisons with an individual's own income and average income of the reference group are significantly associated with the individual's perceived happiness in Asia. The associations between relative income and happiness are stronger for individual income than family income in China, while the opposite is true in Japan and Korea. Even after controlling for the subjective assessment of family income or personal class identification within the society as a whole, income comparisons within the reference group matter for assessing happiness, especially when using family income for comparisons. Moreover, relative deprivation within the reference group, which is measured by the Yitzhaki index, is negatively related to happiness, providing more evidence for the validity of the relative income hypothesis.
Springer. 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-348-4505; e-mail: service-ny@springer.com; Web site: http://www.springerlink.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: China; Japan; South Korea; United States
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A