This dissertation combines three contributions to the literature on the determinants of well-being and the social nature of preferences. Departures from self-centred, consumption-oriented decision making are increasingly common in economic theory and are empirically well motivated by a wide range of behavioural data from experiments, surveys, and econometric inference. The first two contributions are focused on the idea that reference levels set by others’ consumption may figure prominently in both experienced well-being and in decision making. In the first paper, the well-being question is addressed empirically through the use of self-reported life satisfaction and high-resolution census and survey data in Canada. Strong income externalities are found at multiple spatial scales after controlling for various confounding factors. The second paper explores the general equilibrium consequences of a utility function having an explicit comparison with neighbours’ consumption. The question is investigated in a model in which decision makers knowingly choose their neighbours — and hence their consumption reference level — as well as their own consumption expenditure, thereby helping to set the reference level for nearby others. For both discrete and continuous distributions of types in an economy with a heterogeneous population undergoing such endogenous formation of consumption reference groups, there exist general equilibria in which differentiation of neighbourhoods occurs endogenously. The novel welfare implications of growth in such economies are described. The final paper addresses econometric reservations about the use of subjective reports as dependent variables. The date and location of survey interviews are combined with weather and climate records to construct the random component of weather conditions experienced by respondents on the day of their interview. Standard inferences about the determinants of life satisfaction remain robust after taking into account this significant source of affective bias.

This dissertation combines three contributions to the literature on the determinants of well-being and the social nature of preferences. Departures from self-centred, consumption-oriented decision making are increasingly common in economic theory and are empirically well motivated by a wide range of behavioural data from experiments, surveys, and econometric inference. The first two contributions are focused on the idea that reference levels set by others’ consumption may figure prominently in both experienced well-being and in decision making. In the first paper, the well-being question is addressed empirically through the use of self-reported life satisfaction and high-resolution census and survey data in Canada. Strong income externalities are found at multiple spatial scales after controlling for various confounding factors. The second paper explores the general equilibrium consequences of a utility function having an explicit comparison with neighbours’ consumption. The question is investigated in a model in which decision makers knowingly choose their neighbours — and hence their consumption reference level — as well as their own consumption expenditure, thereby helping to set the reference level for nearby others. For both discrete and continuous distributions of types in an economy with a heterogeneous population undergoing such endogenous formation of consumption reference groups, there exist general equilibria in which differentiation of neighbourhoods occurs endogenously. The novel welfare implications of growth in such economies are described. The final paper addresses econometric reservations about the use of subjective reports as dependent variables. The date and location of survey interviews are combined with weather and climate records to construct the random component of weather conditions experienced by respondents on the day of their interview. Standard inferences about the determinants of life satisfaction remain robust after taking into account this significant source of affective bias.

This dissertation combines three contributions to the literature on the determinants of well-being and the social nature of preferences. Departures from self-centred, consumption-oriented decision making are increasingly common in economic theory and are empirically well motivated by a wide range of behavioural data from experiments, surveys, and econometric inference. The first two contributions are focused on the idea that reference levels set by others’ consumption may figure prominently in both experienced well-being and in decision making. In the first paper, the well-being question is addressed empirically through the use of self-reported life satisfaction and high-resolution census and survey data in Canada. Strong income externalities are found at multiple spatial scales after controlling for various confounding factors. The second paper explores the general equilibrium consequences of a utility function having an explicit comparison with neighbours’ consumption. The question is investigated in a model in which decision makers knowingly choose their neighbours — and hence their consumption reference level — as well as their own consumption expenditure, thereby helping to set the reference level for nearby others. For both discrete and continuous distributions of types in an economy with a heterogeneous population undergoing such endogenous formation of consumption reference groups, there exist general equilibria in which differentiation of neighbourhoods occurs endogenously. The novel welfare implications of growth in such economies are described. The final paper addresses econometric reservations about the use of subjective reports as dependent variables. The date and location of survey interviews are combined with weather and climate records to construct the random component of weather conditions experienced by respondents on the day of their interview. Standard inferences about the determinants of life satisfaction remain robust after taking into account this significant source of affective bias. / Arts, Faculty of / Vancouver School of Economics / Graduate

Diplomová práce se zabývá tématem alternativních ukazatelů vývoje hospodářství, které berou v úvahu úroveň štěstí ve společnosti. Zkoumá, za jakých historických souvislostí v první polovině 20. století vznikal ukazatel HDP a na co tehdy reagoval a snaží se nastínit, co se od té doby změnilo. Cílem je odpovědět na otázky, zda má smysl měřit indexy na základě štěstí a zda již dozrála doba na rozšíření povědomí o nich.

Les politiques de sécurité alimentaire considèrent implicitement que la satisfaction des besoins nutritionnels est un objectif suffisant et que les autres fonctions qu'assure l'alimentation – plaisir, lien social, identité – sont secondaires. La présente thèse interroge cette hypothèse. Mobilisant les avancées de l'économie du bonheur, elle propose le concept de bien-être alimentaire subjectif , défini comme la façon dont les personnes ressentent leur situation alimentaire, et construit une mesure pour en rendre compte, la satisfaction alimentaire vécue. Cette mesure est insérée dans un questionnaire soumis à trois échantillons de Maliens vivant dans des milieux différents (région de Kayes, ville de Bamako, France) et confrontés à des niveaux d'insécurité nutritionnelle variés. Des analyses statistiques et économétriques sont réalisées. Les résultats empiriques montrent que, quel que soit le niveau d'insécurité nutritionnelle, les dimensions tant biologique que sociale, hédonique ou identitaire de l'alimentation peuvent être déterminantes dans les perceptions qu'ont les personnes de leur vécu alimentaire. C'est ce qui explique que l'absence d'insécurité nutritionnelle ne soit ni une garantie, ni, surtout, un pré-requis d'une satisfaction alimentaire vécue élevée.Cette recherche suggère des implications importantes en termes d'efficacité et de définition des objectifs des politiques alimentaires. Elle va dans le sens des recommandations du Comité de la Sécurité Alimentaire mondiale d'octobre 2012 en plaidant pour compléter les approches existantes de l'insécurité alimentaire par des évaluations des perceptions individuelles des situations alimentaires vécues. / Food security programs tacitly consider that nutritional needs satisfaction is a sufficient goal and that the other functions of food-pleasure, social links, identity-are of less value. This thesis examine this assumption. Using happiness economics advances, we propose the concept of subjective food well-being, defined as the way people assess their food situation, and develop a measure to evaluate it, the experienced food satisfaction. This measure is put in a questionnaire submitted to three samples of Malian people living in different environments (Kayes region, city of Bamako, France) and facing different nutritional insecurity levels. Statistic and econometric analysis are realized. The empirical results show that, whatever the nutritional insecurity level is, every dimension of food, biological, hedonic, social or identity, can be decisive in people's perception of their food experience. It explains why lack of nutritional insecurity is not a guarantee nor a precondition of high experienced food satisfaction.This research implies important consequences for food programs efficiency and the definition of their goals. Like the last Committee of Food Security (2012) recommends, it pleads to complete existing food insecurity approaches with evaluations of individual food experience perceptions.

No description available.