1 Introduction
1.1 The Need for, and Consequence of, a Change from Using a Verbal Scale to Using a Numerical Scale
1.2 The Reference Distribution Method and the Research Question
1.3 Plan of this Paper
2 Data
2.1 Happiness and Satisfaction with Life: Statistics Netherlands
2.2 Satisfaction with Life: The Eurobarometer
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Northern Europe: Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Ireland, Luxemburg, Austria
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Southern Europe: Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece
3 The Reference Distribution Method
3.1 Application of the Continuum Approach to Derive a Reference Distribution
3.2 Illustration of the Application of the Reference Distribution Method
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Extraordinarily satisfied: 7.2 %
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Very satisfied: 31.2 %
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Satisfied: 44.6 %
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Fairly satisfied: 11.1 %
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Not very satisfied: 5.9 %.
4 Reference Boundaries in Different Demographic Categories
4.1 Reference Boundaries and Estimated Means for Demographic Categories
4.2 Differences in Estimated Means
Split-half experiment Statistics Netherlands 2012 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Category | Sub-category | Happiness | Satisfaction with life | ||||
Estimated means | Difference | Estimated means | Difference | ||||
Reference boundaries category | Reference boundaries population | Reference boundaries category | Reference boundaries population | ||||
Total | Total | 7.45 | 7.45 | 7.32 | 7.32 | ||
Sex | Men | 7.46 | 7.44 | 0.02 | 7.32 | 7.34 | −0.02 |
Women | 7.46 | 7.47 | −0.01 | 7.32 | 7.30 | 0.02 | |
Age | 18–25 | 7.57 | 7.63 | −0.06 | 7.40 | 7.47 | −0.07 |
25–35 | 7.53 | 7.71 | −0.18 | 7.22 | 7.51 | −0.29 | |
35–45 | 7.44 | 7.52 | −0.08 | 7.27 | 7.37 | −0.10 | |
45–55 | 7.40 | 7.36 | 0.04 | 7.30 | 7.23 | 0.07 | |
55–65 | 7.38 | 7.26 | 0.12 | 7.30 | 7.09 | 0.21 | |
65+ | 7.48 | 7.36 | 0.12 | 7.42 | 7.30 | 0.12 | |
Edu-cation | Low | 7.28 | 7.23 | 0.05 | 7.17 | 7.03 | 0.14 |
Middle | 7.51 | 7.49 | 0.02 | 7.31 | 7.35 | −0.04 | |
High | 7.60 | 7.68 | −0.08 | 7.52 | 7.56 | −0.04 |
Eurobarometer 2011 version 76.3 | |||||||
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Category | Sub-category | Satisfaction with life Northern Europe | Satisfaction with life Southern Europe | ||||
Estimated means | Difference | Estimated means | Difference | ||||
Reference boundaries category | Reference boundaries population | Reference boundaries category | Reference boundaries population | ||||
Total | Total | 7.26 | 7.26 | 6.46 | 6.46 | ||
Sex | Men | 7.24 | 7.27 | −0.03 | 6.43 | 6.54 | −0.11 |
Women | 7.28 | 7.24 | 0.04 | 6.49 | 6.39 | 0.10 | |
Age | 18–25 | 7.66 | 7.60 | 0.06 | 6.84 | 6.78 | 0.06 |
25–35 | 7.34 | 7.14 | 0.20 | 6.63 | 6.53 | 0.10 | |
35–45 | 7.13 | 7.17 | −0.04 | 6.64 | 6.41 | 0.23 | |
45–55 | 7.09 | 6.97 | 0.12 | 6.41 | 6.49 | −0.08 | |
55–65 | 7.18 | 7.26 | −0.08 | 6.42 | 6.44 | −0.02 | |
65+ | 7.28 | 7.47 | −0.19 | 6.05 | 6.29 | −0.24 | |
Edu-cation | Low | 6.91 | 6.90 | 0.01 | 6.07 | 6.15 | −0.08 |
Middle | 7.16 | 7.06 | 0.10 | 6.66 | 6.54 | 0.12 | |
High | 7.59 | 7.61 | −0.02 | 6.78 | 6.92 | −0.14 |
5 Trends in Estimated Means in Different Demographic Categories
5.1 Trends in Estimated Means over Time for the General Population
5.2 Differences in Estimated Means over Time Depending on the Boundaries Used
Statistics Netherlands, POLS and Social Cohesion Survey, 1997–2009, 13 waves | |||||
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Category | Sub-category | Happiness | Satisfaction with life | ||
Difference in estimated mean | Difference in estimated mean | ||||
Average | Standard deviation | Average | Standard deviation | ||
Sex | Men | 0.02 | 0.01 | −0.02 | 0.01 |
Women | −0.02 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.01 | |
Age | 18–25 | −0.07 | 0.01 | −0.08 | 0.01 |
25–35 | −0.19 | 0.01 | −0.29 | 0.01 | |
35–45 | −0.07 | 0.01 | −0.11 | 0.01 | |
45–55 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.06 | 0.01 | |
55–65 | 0.11 | < 0.01 | 0.20 | 0.01 | |
65+ | 0.11 | 0.01 | 0.12 | 0.01 | |
Edu-cation | Low | 0.12 | 0.01 | 0.23 | 0.01 |
Middle | 0.01 | 0.01 | −0.07 | 0.01 | |
High | −0.08 | 0.01 | −0.08 | 0.02 |
Eurobarometer 1997–2012, 33 waves | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Category | Sub-category | Satisfaction with life Northern Europe | Satisfaction with life Southern Europe | ||
Difference in estimated mean | Difference in estimated mean | ||||
Average | Standard deviation | Average | Standard deviation | ||
Sex | Men | −0.04 | < 0.01 | −0.10 | < 0.01 |
Women | 0.03 | < 0.01 | 0.09 | < 0.01 | |
Age | 18–25 | 0.06 | 0.01 | 0.04 | 0.01 |
25–35 | 0.21 | 0.01 | 0.10 | 0.01 | |
35–45 | −0.04 | < 0.01 | 0.22 | 0.01 | |
45–55 | 0.12 | 0.01 | −0.09 | 0.01 | |
55–65 | −0.08 | < 0.01 | −0.02 | < 0.01 | |
65+ | −0.20 | 0.01 | −0.21 | 0.01 | |
Edu-cation | Low | 0.01 | 0.01 | −0.06 | 0.01 |
Middle | 0.10 | < 0.01 | 0.08 | 0.02 | |
High | −0.01 | 0.01 | −0.12 | 0.01 |