Are happy youth also satisfied adults? An analysis of the impact of childhood factors on adult life satisfaction

Jewell, S. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4413-6618 and Kambhampati, U. S. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5906-2394 (2015) Are happy youth also satisfied adults? An analysis of the impact of childhood factors on adult life satisfaction. Social Indicators Research, 121 (2). pp. 543-567. ISSN 1573-0921 doi: 10.1007/s11205-014-0642-6

Abstract/Summary

This paper aims to consider whether there is a link between youth happiness levels and adult life satisfaction. Our results are unequivocal that such a link exists both because demographic and socio-economic conditions are persistent over a lifetime and also because there is a persistence in personality effects. To test this link, we estimate a model of happiness for a sample of young people. This model provides us with a range of variables measuring socio-economic effects and personality effects amongst young people. These variables are then included in the adult life satisfaction model. The model is estimated using data from the British Household Panel Survey for 1994–2008. In addition to childhood happiness levels influencing adult life satisfaction significantly, we also find that the youthful personality trait for happiness has a larger effect on adult life satisfaction than demographic and socio-economic conditions.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/38673
Identification Number/DOI	10.1007/s11205-014-0642-6
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Arts, Humanities and Social Science > School of Politics, Economics and International Relations > Economics
Publisher	Springer
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