Abstract
A statistical model is formulated and tested empirically in an effort to evaluate observed differences in satisfaction levels as a function of relative differences in perceived aspirations and achievements of the individual. Data for testing the model were developed from personal interviews with a random sample of 1946 Oregon adults. Scores for two domains, public safety and income security satisfactions, were employed in this paper. Effects of three independent variables — an individual's sex, income level and age — also were tested. The results show that differences in domain satisfaction seem to occur through different processes, depending on the domain and the independent variable employed. The statistical tests reported provide some information on the theoretical formulation but additional measures are required to provide a more rigorous test of the model.
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This research was supported by Rockefeller Foundation Project No. RF 71079, ‘Man and His Activities as They Relate to Environmental Quality in Oregon’. The authors profited greatly from reviews of an earlier draft of this paper by Frank M. Andrews, Angus Campbell and Phillip E. Converse, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan.
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Mason, R., Faulkenberry, G.D. Aspirations, achievements and life satisfaction. Social Indicators Research 5, 133–150 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00352925
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00352925