Do people seek to maximize happiness?

Do people seek to maximize happiness?

by Daniel J. Benjamin

Book 16489 of NBER working paper series -- working paper

Join Readfeed freeFind clubs reading this
Rate this book:

Browse books you can read free on Readfeed

No club is reading this yet — be the first to start one

Start a club free
About
"The NBER Bulletin on Aging and Health provides summaries of publications like this. You can sign up to receive the NBER Bulletin on Aging and Health by email. Are subjective well-being (SWB) measures a good empirical proxy for utility? We evaluate one necessary assumption: that people's preferences coincide with what they predict will maximize their SWB. Our method is to present survey respondents with hypothetical scenarios and elicit both choice and predicted SWB rankings of two alternatives. While choice and predicted SWB rankings usually coincide, we find systematic reversals. Furthermore, we identify factors-such as predicted sense of purpose, control over one's life, family happiness, and social status-that help explain choice controlling for predicted SWB. We explore how our findings vary with the SWB measure and the choice situation"--National Bureau of Economic Research web site.

Discuss Do people seek to maximize happiness? with other readers

Join or start a book club for Do people seek to maximize happiness? on Readfeed. Live chat, shared reading progress, and AI discussion questions — free to get started.

Sign up freeBrowse book clubs

Frequently asked questions

How do I join a book club for Do people seek to maximize happiness??

Sign up free on Readfeed, then browse public clubs or start your own club with Do people seek to maximize happiness? as the current read. Invite friends with a share link and discuss together with live chat and AI discussion questions.

Can I discuss Do people seek to maximize happiness? with other readers online?

Yes. Readfeed book clubs let you chat live, share progress, and join discussions about Do people seek to maximize happiness? with readers worldwide — whether your club is virtual, in-person, or hybrid.

Is Readfeed free?

Yes. Creating an account and joining book clubs is free. Sign up to find readers who love the same books and start discussing today.