The measure of happiness
A few weeks ago, we at Zogby blog discussed a proposal that a national measure of happiness be added to GDP. Many commentators, including some on our own blog, argued that measuring happiness is, in essence, impossible.
Not satisfied with anecdotal evidence, we turned to more rigorous data collection. In our recent Interactive survey of almost 4000 American adults, we asked American adults to indicate their agreement with the view that happiness can be measured. It turned out that a plurality (49.9%) of American adults disagree with the view while 40.6% agree (9.4% are not sure). Perhaps surprisingly, there are no noticeable patterns between genders, age-groups and political parties.
Many social scientists routinely measure (what they believe is) happiness, usually by asking people to indicate on a scale how happy they are. Given the fact that a large portion of Americans do not believe that happiness is measurable, do you think that it should have an impact on the public finding of such research? Or do you think this is an issue best left to experts?
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Public “funding” maybe is what’s being asked?
First of all you would need to come up with a bullet proof operational definition of happiness.(ex. Happiness makes you feel like dancing in the streets. Happiness is when you are number one. Happiness is being rich.) Lots of polling. Next, happiness is relative. For instance, in another of your blogs, you got to hear about how unhappy I am with the Wall Street types who think they should receive all their bonus money. (a -5) However, I am happy with how I have been able to handle my finances the last few months. (a +2) We can be happy and unhappy about monetary issues at the same time. So John, I will be interested to see how you define happiness – relative specifically to GDP. I would be VERY happy if people in my quintile could contribute to the GDP, but I would be VERY unhappy if increased GDP really only amounts to Wall Street generating income for financial institutions through churning their more exotic market products.
Oh, puhleease! Experts, indeed. These folks need to get a real job. Any true scientist knows that to gather valid data you need objective measures… how less objective is happiness? My Cocker Spaniel is probably the happiest creature on Earth, so we should use her as a comparison? Or how about using ‘Great Aunt Ida’ whose dementia has her back in grade school in 1939, and is now happy as a clam?