文章基本信息

标题：Unmet Aspirations as an Explanation for the Age U-Shape in Human Wellbeing
本地全文：下载
作者：Hannes Schwandt
期刊名称：CEP Discussion Paper
出版年度：2013
卷号：2013
语种：English
出版社：Centre for Economic Performance
摘要：A large literature in behavioral and social sciences has found that human wellbeing follows a U-shape over age. Some theories have assumed that the U-shape is caused by unmet expectations that are felt painfully in midlife but beneficially abandoned and experienced with less regret during old age. In a unique panel of 132,609 life satisfaction expectations matched to subsequent realizations, I find people to err systematically in predicting their life satisfaction over the life cycle. They expect -- incorrectly -- increases in young adulthood and decreases during old age. These errors are large, ranging from 9.8% at age 21 to -4.5% at age 68, they are stable over time and observed across socio-economic groups. These findings support theories that unmet expectations drive the age U-shape in wellbeing.
关键词：Life satisfaction;expectations;aging