The 60s Turnaround as a Test on the Causal Relationship between Sociability and Happiness

40 Pages Posted: 1 Aug 2009

See all articles by Leonardo Becchetti

Leonardo Becchetti

University of Rome Tor Vergata - Faculty of Economics

Elena Giachin Ricca

Independent

Alessandra Pelloni

University of Rome II, Department of Economics

Date Written: July 2009

Abstract

The nexus between social leisure and life satisfaction is riddled with endogeneity problems. In investigating the causal relationship going from the first to the second variable we start from considering that retirement is an event after which the time investable in (the outside job) relational life increases. We instrument social leisure with the probability of retirement of the three and four years younger cohorts. With such approach we document that social leisure has a positive and significant effect on life satisfaction. Our findings shed some light on the age-happiness pattern. Policy implications are also discussed.

Keywords: life satisfaction, relational goods, social capital

JEL Classification: I30, D61 A11, A13

Suggested Citation

Becchetti, Leonardo and Ricca, Elena Giachin and Pelloni, Alessandra, The 60s Turnaround as a Test on the Causal Relationship between Sociability and Happiness (July 2009). SOEPpaper No. 209, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1441901 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1441901

Leonardo Becchetti (Contact Author)

University of Rome Tor Vergata - Faculty of Economics ( email )

Via Columbia, 2
I-00133 Rome
Italy

Elena Giachin Ricca

Independent ( email )

Alessandra Pelloni

University of Rome II, Department of Economics ( email )

Via Columbia n.2
Rome, rome 00100
Italy
390672595908 (Phone)

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