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HAPPINESS & INCOME.
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Research proposal to determine relationship between life satisfaction & annual income. Relevant studies, theory, purpose, hypotheses, methods. Table of Contents.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Research proposal to determine relationship between life satisfaction & annual income. Relevant studies, theory, purpose, hypotheses, methods. Table of Contents.
Paper Introduction:
Table of Contents
RELATIONSHIP OF HAPPINESS TO INCOME: A DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS
OF GENERAL SOCIAL SURVEY DATA . . . . . .2
Review of Research 2
Early Research 2
Current Research 4
Related Theory 7
Summary 8
Statement of the Problem. 8
Purpose of the Study 9
Hypotheses. 10
Significance of the Study. 10
Methods. 11
Research Approach and Design. 11
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The existing research attemptingto answer this question is rather ambiguous. 2. Hypothesis 4 -Level of happiness will be most strongly predicted bythe conjoint operation of income, race, sex, marital status, religion, age,and education. Data were analyzed and compared to earlierresearch. & Bloomquist, D.W. While the specificarea of interest is the contribution of income to happiness, the relative impact of several other variables will also be assessed. On this basis, the following hypotheses are formulated: Hypothesis 1 -Income will be found to be significantly and positively correlated to degree of happiness. 2. ED 153 17 . Best, J.W. In another early study Nontasak and Frese (1978) reported that manystudies have found that rising affluence has been foundto be associated with a gradual, consistent decline in reported levels ofhappiness. According to Fox (1998), theprimary purposes of the GSS are to provide highquality and interesting social characteristics and opinion data tobehavioral and social science researchers. All of the variables and procedures used in descriptive researchare described as accurately and completely as possible so that the studycan be replicated by other researchers. Kammann (1982) investigated the efficacy of personalcircumstances and life events as predictors of happiness. 3. Is there a general relationship of income level tohappiness level in sample subjects? The analysis of variance wasused to test for differences between motivational groups within employmentstatus categories on the demographic variables of personal income, age,educational level and number of children. Francis (1997) also notes that religion and marital statusare at least as strongly associated with happiness as income. Noone(1998) reported that the mean scores from the ranking of the importance ofthe predictors in retirement revealed that socialization with family wasthe most significant factor and income was rated the least important. The findings were said to suggest that happiness should bethought about more in terms of mediating mental processes than objectivelife circumstances.Current Research Argyle (1998) reviewed over 4 studies exploring the relationshipbetween happiness and a variety of factors. Another study that supports the notion that income may be acontributor to happiness was conducted by Gittman (1975) who examined themotivations of 275 women who were employed full time, employed part-time,homemakers full-time or volunteer workers. Related theory offersthe notion that the income construct may be too narrow a focus and that inorder to get a true picture of happiness and the factors that affect it,including income, researchers should focus on quality of life indicators. Descriptive studies involve hypothesis formulation and testing. Indeed, the reviewed researchsuggested that several other variables also have an impact on perceivedhappiness levels, e.g. In all, the GSS has been used to collect data from 35, people. Since the events orconditions have already occurred, the researcher selects the relevantvariables for an analysis of their relationships. According to Best (1991), descriptive research can bedistinguished from other forms of research based on the following fivecharacteristics: 1. Because there exists a number of demographic and socio-demographic variables that are also known to correlate with happiness (see:Francis, 1997), several of these variables will also be examined both inrelation to happiness generally and for the magnitude of their specificcontribution to happiness. In this regard,three studies were conducted to identify mental processes that givecircumstances their favorable and unfavorable meanings. However, the mostsignificant predictors of happiness in both materialists and non-materialists were self-esteem, family income and collectivism.Related Theory Jamieson and Sneed (1989) suggested that one reason for the ambiguityor mixed findings in research examining for a systematic relationshipbetween income and happiness is that the happiness factor is too narrow aconstruct. 5. In other words, we are in desperate need of understanding the psychology of happiness; research that contributes to this understanding has great practical signific-ance because it points in the direction where happiness truly lies. 8. nonmaterialists:The effects of t.v. The Christian Science Monitor. Kammann, R. In another current study, Wu (1998) examined the relationship betweentelevision viewing, materialism and happiness with multiple regressions.Cultivation theory was said to posit that heavy television viewing waspositively correlated with mispercep-tions of social reality and that thisaffects one's value systems. Everywhere, billboards, television and other advertise-ments tell us that they have something that will make us happy. (ERIC DocumentReproduction Service No. (1982) .Personal circumstances and life events as poorpredictors of happiness. 3. For example, in some veryearly research in the area Thompson (1977) analyzed the relationshipbetween the receipt of an employee pension and happiness among retired menand women. . Hypotheses Although the research is somewhat equivocal regarding the relationship between money and happiness, it generally shows at least some degree of positive correlation between these two variables as well as some degree of correlation between happiness and certain demographic factors. The first studyexamined the gap between aspiration and achieve-ment in terms of income,education, physical fitness, leisure, and friends. The GSS has 1 46 variables and2,9 4 cases for the year 1996). On the other hand, it is noted that otherstudies have shown that the rich tend to be happy 77 percent of the timewhile those in the middle or lower socioeconomic classes are happy onlyabout 52 percent of the time. It is estimated by NORC that subject selection restrictions excludeapproximately 2 percent of the adult household population of the UnitedStates. In orderto test the study's four research hypotheses, several analyses will beconducted. Thompson, G.B. Dissertation Abstracts International, 59-A(6), p. The results showed that the predictors ofmaterialism were viewing of specific television programs, televisionviewing motives, individualism and peer communication about consumption.Materialism was negatively correlated with happiness. ED 158 949. exposure on materialism and the relationship betweenmaterialism and happiness. Statement of the Problem The research problem that will be examined in the proposed research isdetermining whether there is a significant relation-ship between income andhappiness. (1985). Documentavailable: http://www.newciv.org/GIB/. What is quality of life?(ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. (Paper presented at theConference of the Gerontological Society (3 th, San Francisco, California,November) ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. Noone, P.J. 4. Is there a relationship between religion and happiness insample subjects? In thisregard, frequency of church attendance has been found to be related todegree of happiness; according to Francis, this could be because religionmay give people a broader perspective oflife. The second section examines more recent research. Research in education (6th ed.) Boston:Allyn & Bacon. The GSS is a national surveyof adult Americans conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC)using sophisticated random sampling methods. ED 178 797) . 11 Data Source 13 Population and Sample. Everyone has a mania about being happy or high and it has become a national hobby with us. In some recent research, Noone (1998) examined predictors of lifesatisfaction in retired college and university presidents. The third sectionpresents a brief review of related theory and the fourth and final sectionsummarizes the main findings of the literature.Early Research Does money contribute to happiness? (1998). Specifically, the proposed research willexplore the following areas of inquiry: 1. (1978). 16 RELATIONSHIP OF HAPPINESS TO INCOME: A DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS OF GENERAL SOCIAL SURVEY DATA Review of Research Those who say that money can't buy happiness don't know where to shop. Also, on the average,the divorced tend to be less happy than people who are married. Sometimes, our search for happiness costs us or hurts us badly. However, in their own study of a large population, the authorsdid find a mild, positive, and linear correlation between income andsatisfaction with one's quality of life. Thus, a general or overall picture can be compiled of not only how income may impact on an individual's sense of happiness but also how this impact may be moderated by additional demographic variables. (1998). Based on the analyses of collected data, Gittman (1975) concluded thatrelationships existed between motivation for full time employment andgeneral happiness, and between motivation for part-time employment and ageof subject and number of children. (1977). 14 References. 8 Purpose of the Study 9 Hypotheses. Jamieson, D. In other words, income can affect one's level ofhappiness but tends to do so along with other factors. When each of the six demographic factors (race, age, gender,marital status, religion and educational level) are controlled for, doesthere remain a relationship between income and happiness in samplesubjects. If we drink a certain beer, buy a certain car, wear a certain pair of pants, dab ourselves with a certain perfume, or brush with a new toothpaste, its all going to be a happy, happy, happy experience. Gss surveys have been carried out yearly from 1972 through 1996 exceptfor the years 1979, 1981, 1992 and 1994. These analyseswill reveal whether any of these demographics are significantly associatedwith happiness. 7. This number will change from analysisto analysis because not all items were completed by all survey respondents.Regarding the GSS sample, Fox (1998) states that it consists of a cross-section of noninstitutionalized, English-speaking people 18 years of age orolder, all of whom live in the continental United States. Others seek happiness in a few minutes of fun and games, or in sexual experiences. Population and Sample The entire population contributing 1996 data will be used inthe analysis of the target variables. 6. The third study found thathappy people give higher pleasantness ratings across the board to a widevariety of hypothetical life events, including undesirable situations, thanunhappy persons. Francis, D. For example, he notes that research conducted of22 winners of large lotteries found no clear difference between theirhappiness and that of controls. It is also possible, if time permits, to conduct a series ofcomparison tests to determine whether level of happiness significantlydiffers at each of the levels of the target variables of income, age, race,sex, marital status, religion, and education. Descriptive studies use logical methods of inductive-deductivereasoning to arrive at generalizations. Predictors of life satisfaction in retiredcollege and university presidents. (1989). (Paper presented at the Annual Convention of theAmerican Psychological Association (9 th,Washington, DC, August 23-27). The first conducted analysis will be a standard pearson productmoment correlation calculated for the two variables of happiness andincome. 1 Significance of the Study. Purpose of the Study The general purpose of this study is to develop a holistic model offactors that determine to what extent, if any, income contributes toindividuals' ratings of their level of happiness(Very Happy, Pretty Happy, Not too Happy). Lifesatisfaction was defined as a multidimensional concept referring to anindividual's sense of well-being, quality of life, and degree of happiness.The predictor variables explored for contribution to life satisfactionwere: self-perceived health, adequate finances, activity, and socializationwith family and friends. However,it also indicates that income is far from the only contributor to aperson's perceived level of happiness. Seeking happiness, some turn to heavy drinking and lose their dignity or more, some turn to dope and drugs and lose their life. The second analysis will be a series of standard pearson productmoment correlations computed between happiness and the demographics of:age, race, sex, marital status, religion, and education. As expected, most peoplewanted to be better off than they were and believed that if they werebetter off they would be happier. Regarding income, like severalother studies, Gittman found a slightly positive correlation between incomeand general happiness. 6. 2. The first section examines and discusses the early research in thefield. 11 Research Approach and Design. Quality of life is thendefined as a multifaceted construct that includes: income, degree to whichpeople have basic goods and services, perceived level of happiness, degreeto which personal preferences are satisfied in life, and the degree towhich person feels that the necessary conditions for happiness are providedto him.Summary The review of literature presented here asked the question of whethermoney could buy happiness. Thus, the study will not manipulate any variables but, rather willmerely examine existing survey data to determine for relationships betweenits target variables. Selected demographic and attitude variables inrelation to women's motivation for full-time employment, part-timeemployment, full-time homemaking and volunteer work. In his review of the literature, Francis (1997) noted that mostresearch shows a small positive correlation between money and happiness.Further, he reports that economic studies of nations indicates that whenthe economic performance of a country is high, happiness does increase butonly slightly. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Interms of the survey itself, Fox states that the number of items on the GSSquestionnaire have grown over the years starting with about l questionsin 1972 and growing to about 5 questions by 1996. & Sneed, J.D. In addition, the analysis ofvariance was used to test the attitude variables of satisfaction withemployment status, marital happiness, general happiness, husband'sattitude, satisfaction with family relationships and sex role attitude. The existing knowledge base indicates, that toat least some extent, having money will life the spirits slightly. Psychological research methods:A conceptual approach. 7. Regarding target variables, according to Kiess and Bloomquist (1985),it is technically inappropriate to refer to the study's variables using the"independent" and "dependent" categories in descriptive research that doesnot manipulate variables or randomly assign variables to conditions.Therefore, all that can be said is that the proposed research will examinethe following variables: 1. Similarly, Francis (1997) states, that in Britain and Western Europegenerally, happiness levels reported by people are only slightly higherthan they were 2 years ago; and some countries such as Belgium and Irelandactually show a drop. These analyses will beconducted using either a chi square analysis or an analysis of variancedepending upon the nature of the data measurement. MicroCase is a computer program designed to be applied tolarge databases with hundreds of variables and thousands of cases. (1975). .2 Review of Research 2 Early Research 2 Current Research 4 Related Theory 7 Summary 8 Statement of the Problem. Francis (1997) goes on to report that in Western industrial nations,prosperity has been rising for a long time without a related increase inhappiness. They have suggested that what should be investigated is for arelationship between income and quality of life. The Life Satisfaction Index A (LSIA) questionnaire was used to surveythe retired presidents. ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. The sample itself is said to be generaliz-able to about 97 percentof the residential population of America. References Argyle, M. Hypothesis 2 -Race, sex, marital status, religion, age, and education will be found to be significantly and positively correlated to degree of happiness. Is there a relationship between gender and happiness insample subjects. Fox, W. Wu, P. (1991). So that the research can be placed in context, the paperbegins with a review of the pertinent research. Britain, for example, is twice as rich as in 196 and threetimes richer than after World War II.American living standards have also risen enormously. Table of Contents RELATIONSHIP OF HAPPINESS TO INCOME: A DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS OF GENERAL SOCIAL SURVEY DATA . In addition Gittman concluded thatrelationships existed between motivation for full-time homemaking and ageof subject, number of children, satisfaction with employment status andhusband's attitudes, and between motivation for volunteer work andsatisfaction with family relationships. Further, despite higher incomes, suicide rates amongmen in most Western nations have risen, especially among the richernations; on the other hand, this problem is highest among the unemployedand those with marital problems. Regarding the affects of income, Argyle (1998) reports that findingsare not especially stable. Race with three levels: white, black and other. These analyses can be delineated as follows: 1. It was reported that findingsshowed happiness to be related to such factors as: (1) degree ofsatisfaction with the marital partner; (2) number of intimate friends; (3)degree to which individualslike their work; (4) whether individuals were or were not employed; (5)having a fairly ordered way of life; (6) having interests and meaningfulpursuits (7) being extroverted; and (8)amount of income. 362. MethodsResearch Approach and Design The proposed research will use a descriptive researchapproach. To what extent does the conjoint influence of age, race, sex,marital status, religion, education, and income predict sample subjects'happiness levels? The psychology of happiness. Descriptive studies employ methods of randomization so that errorcan be estimated when inferring population character-istics fromobservations conducted on samples. Is there a relationship between marital status andhappiness in sample subjects? Results were said to suggest that there were no strong linearrelationships between the predictor variables and life satisfaction. (December 15, 1997). Gittman, B. Is there a relationship between educational level andhappiness in sample subjects? Kiess, H.O. These variables are: race, sex, marital status,religion, age, and education. This increase is said to be related to the fact that ifsomeone is making more money on his or her job the chance is greater thanthe job is more complex and fulfilling and this is why the person ishappier. The review is divided intofour sections. The sum of the gap between what was andwhat was desired predicted their unhappiness. It is this fact that gives significance to the proposed research. 5. Hypothesis 3 -Income will be found to be significantly and positivelycorrelated to degree of happiness even when the factors of race, sex,marital status, religion, age and education are controlled for. This analysis will inform as to the presence of a relationship whenintervening factors are not controlled. The impact of receipt of an employee pension onthe psychological well-being of retired persons. Goal structures of materialists vs. 4. The third analysis will consist of a series of analyses ofcovariance in which each of the seven demographic factors will becontrolled for in order to take a look at the income-happiness relationshipwithout the contribution by that factor. Dissertation Abstracts International, 59-A(2),p. 5. 1856. Anonymous The proposed research is designed to conduct a comprehensiveinvestigation for a relationship between income and money using data from anational database. . 1 Methods. It is also a billion dollar business. (Paper presented at the AnnualMeeting of the Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists (75th,Houston, Texas, 5-8 February).ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. 3. Work and money---money notthe root of all happiness. 14 Data Analysis Plan. 4. . 4. The fourth analysis conducted will be a multiple regressionanalysis calculated to determine the extent to which all factors examined(income, age, race, sex, marital status, religion, and education) predicthappiness ratings. Findings were said to suggest that those receiving pensionpayments as supple-ments to their government retirement monies were nothappier than those who were not getting supplemental income. Happiness with three levels: Very Happy, Pretty Happy, Not TooHappy. However,in surveys conducted over the years, most Americans do not show aproportional change in their happiness levels. Significance of the Study Today we live in a world that is constantly seeking for happiness. Objective and subjective quality oflife indicators: An exploratory analysis. (1998). Is there a relationship between age and happiness insample subjects? Age with five levels: 18-29; 3 -39; 4 -49; 5 -64; and 65* years. Thus, the GSS sample may beconsidered to be fairly represen-tative. The second study demonstrated that happy people have a stronger"Pollyannna effect" than unhappy people, i.e., they identified a largergroup of positive associations in their lives. 3. Francis also notes that if a good deal of money is given to peoplewho have little, they can have strong happiness for a time but that after ayear or so, the degree of happiness begins to decrease. Income with six levels: -1 K; 1 -19,999K; 2 K-39,999K;4 K-59,999K; and 6 +K. In total, all of the above analyses should provide a comprehensivepicture of the relationship between happiness and income as well as apicture of demographic variables that may moderate the relationship. ED225 89. 2. ED 318 681). Regarding sampling methods, Fox(1998) reports that respondents were randomly selected using a multistageprobability sampling technique.Data Analysis Plan The Student MicroCase statistical program will be used to analyze thetarget variables. Regarding marital status, Francis (1997) states that married mencommit suicide only one-third as often as other men. Descriptive studies are nonexperimental in that they deal with therelationships between nonmanipulated variables in a natural rather thanartificial lab setting. marital status and religion. 8. Religion with five levels: Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, None, and Other. Marital Status with five levels: married, widowed, divorced, separate, and never married. (1998). & Frese, W. Education with five levels: no high school, high school,two years of college, four years of college, and 5+ years of college.Data Source All data analyzed in this study will be drawn from the United StatesGeneral Social Survey (GSS) for the year 1996. . Nontasak, T. Social statistics (3rd ed.) Bellevue, WA:Microcase Corporation. Sex with two levels: male and female.
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