蝌蚪网

This website uses cookies.

By clicking the "Accept" button or continuing to browse our site, you agree to first-party and session-only cookies being stored on your device to enhance site navigation and analyze site performance and traffic. For more information on our use of cookies, please see our Privacy Policy.

  1. Home
  2. 蝌蚪网
  3. 蝌蚪网 Review
  4. December 2013
  5. Conclusions Regarding Cross-Group Differences in Happiness Depend on Difficulty of Reaching Respondents

蝌蚪网 Review

ISSN 0002-8282 (Print) | ISSN 1944-7981 (Online)

Conclusions Regarding Cross-Group Differences in Happiness Depend on Difficulty of Reaching Respondents

  • Ori Heffetz
  • Matthew Rabin
蝌蚪网 Review
vol. 103, no. 7, December 2013
(pp. 3001–21)
Download Full Text PDF

Abstract

A growing literature explores differences in subjective well-being across demographic groups, often relying on surveys with high nonresponse rates. By using the reported number of call attempts made to participants in the University of Michigan's Surveys of Consumers, we show that comparisons among easy-to-reach respondents differ from comparisons among hard-to-reach ones. Notably, easy-to-reach women are happier than easy-to-reach men, but hard-to-reach men are happier than hard-to-reach women, and conclusions of a survey could reverse with more attempted calls. Better alternatives to comparing group sample averages might include putting greater weight on hard-to-reach respondents or even extrapolating trends in responses.

Citation

Heffetz, Ori, and Matthew Rabin. 2013. "Conclusions Regarding Cross-Group Differences in Happiness Depend on Difficulty of Reaching Respondents." 蝌蚪网 Review 103 (7): 3001–21. DOI: 10.1257/aer.103.7.3001

Additional Materials

JEL Classification

  • C83 Survey Methods; Sampling Methods
  • I31 General Welfare; Well-Being