Good Societies,Financial Inequality and Secrecy,and a Good Life: from Aristotle to Piketty

In this paper we show that for a dataset of 105 countries, four candidate objective indexes (Human Development Index (HDI), Weighted Index of Social Progress (WISP), Social Progress Index (SPI) and Sustainable Society Index (SSI)) and one subjective index (World Happiness Survey (WHS)) of at least aspects of the quality of life or human well-being have good convergent validity among themselves and expected statistically significant negative correlations with Gini measures of wealth and income, and a measure of political jurisdictions’ institutionalized financial secrecy (Financial Secrecy Scores (FSS)). A measure of offshore wealth as a fraction of GDP (FOW) showed only a couple significant correlations with one overall quality of life index (SSI). When we combined the four objective indexes to the subjective index to create overall measures of the quality of life (including Happy Life Years (HLY)), the correlations among the indexes increased. Most of the correlations increased again when we used Gini indexes to create wealth-equality overall quality of life indexes and these correlations were higher on average than those among income-equality overall quality of life indexes. Combining results using 21 quality of life/well-being indexes, we rank ordered 105 countries from best to worst. The top 10 in order were Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Australia, Finland, Netherlands, Slovakia, Belgium, Sweden and Denmark. This is the first time anyone has built the array of index options presented here based on a handful of originals. We offer them as another potential starting point for the next generation of researchers.

     

Measuring Socio-economic Factors and Sensitivity of Happiness

There is significant variation in average subjective well-being across countries. What makes people in some countries happier or more miserable than others? In this study, we decompose the difference in average subjective well-being across countries into a comprehensive set of socio-economic factors along with cross-country difference in sensitivity of happiness in order to answer the question. While an individual’s subjective well-being is affected by socio-economic status, every individual does not necessarily draw the same level of subjective well-being from a given condition of life because of different personal characteristics. Sensitivity of happiness is an umbrella term capturing such factors that are not reflected by socio-economic conditions. We introduce Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) approach to estimate a happiness function and specify the sensitivity score for each country in a sample. We draw on a comprehensive set of well-being indicators released by the Better Life Initiative of the OECD, along with measures of income inequality. We find that the health factor and sensitivity term play the largest role in generating variation in subjective well-being. Even within countries, the average level of subjective well-being varies between different population groups. Drawing on a set of indicators that assess the life circumstances of different groups within each country, our decomposition formulation allows for a full explanation of the differences in average life satisfaction between the groups. We investigate the differences between men and women, and high income earners and low income earners.     

Well-Being Indicators and Convergence Across Italian Regions

This article studies convergence across Italian regions by means of two composite indicators of socio-economic progress reflecting the multidimensional nature of human well-being. The first composite indicator includes, other than household disposable income in Italy, two sub-indicators regarding health and education; the second composite indicator considers, in addition to those considered by the former, three further sub-indicators relating to the quality of the socio-institutional context, age and gender disparities in the labor market and regional competitiveness. The data base of the 17 variables or indexes used to construct the six abovementioned sub-indicators cover the period from 1998 to 2008. We assess the existence of both σ and γ- convergence; the latter computed by means of Kendall′s index. Consistent with the findings in other European countries that also use composite economic and quality of life indicators we find evidence of regional σ-convergence in well-being, but do not observe significant processes of intra-distributional mobility. In other words, while dispersion across Italian regions in terms of well-being levels declined in the period, the regional ranking remained substantially unchanged.     

Fuzzy computation of teaching performance based on data envelopment analysis method

Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is a system analysis method. It is suitable for evaluating the relative efficiency of Decision Making Units (DMU) with multiple input and output indicators, which is subject to no dimensional form of data and does not need to set the parameters. Subordinate colleges are an integral part of a university, and the university’s comprehensive competitiveness can be improved only when each college reaches the optimal state of teaching performance. From the perspective of faculty structure, this paper constructs the evaluation system for the teaching performance of subordinate colleges. In the evaluation system, there are two fuzzy variables, employment quality and quality of enrollment of graduates, so the fuzzy DEA method is adopted. The introduction of fuzzy theory can well solve the problem of fuzzy numbers in input or output. The commonly used fuzzy numbers include triangular fuzzy numbers and trapezoid fuzzy numbers. The triangular one is used in this paper. The research results will help the university strengthen the understanding of subordinate colleges, which is of practical significance to improve the university’s comprehensive competitiveness.     

The Psychology of Human Resources Development: A Consequent of Radical Cultural Change in America

The purpose of this paper is to outline some of the principal features of an exciting new field concerned with developing HUMAN resources in organizational settings, i.e., aiming at maximizing employees' pertinent talents, productivity and well-being in the service of organizations. The Psychology of Human Resources Development has arisen of practical necessity from the array of functions and employee services commonly performed by personnel departments since the beginning of this century and their more recent consequents, departments of human resources development. These services and functions in turn were further stimulated by the growing social turbulence subsequent to the early 1960's and the economic prosperity of the 1980's. Upon close examination, however, the sophisticated deployment of these functions and services actually necessitated substantial psychological knowledge and that of allied disciplines. Moreover, in the current, rapidly emerging arena of global competition among businesses, it is clear at present that America's economic fate will turn importantly upon how well business organizations can promote and effectively utilize the intelligence and skill of its workforce. To this end, and those previously stated, it is the mission of the Psychology of Human Resources Development to explore any tactical methods and related subject matters within the purview of ethical decorum that are helpful in promoting the development of employee abilities and general well-being for organizations' strategic ends.     

Multidimensional Poverty Index and Happiness

In recent years, income concepts have been criticized for being too narrow to capture human well-being. The broader “objective” capability approach and subjective well-being analyses have been highlighted as most prominent approaches which allow for well-being assessments beyond income. Recently, a combination of the capability and of the subjective well-being approach has been recommended to strengthen well-being analyses. Our paper further explores the relations of both approaches. Based upon micro data covering more than 2300 individuals from four villages in rural Karnataka (India), the paper empirically analyses to which degree objective capability deprivation reflected by the United Nations Development Programme’s Multidimensional Poverty Index coincides with reduced happiness. We find positive correlations between Multidimensional Poverty Index deprivation and lack of happiness for some dimensions; otherwise the correlation is weak for the majority of Multidimensional Poverty Index indicators. Our results suggest that “relativity” towards other villagers is crucial for happiness. Moreover, from a happiness perspective our findings show the necessity to integrate financial deprivation indicators and further “missing dimensions” of deprivation into the Multidimensional Poverty Index. Furthermore, it may be fruitful to measure multidimensional poverty on a household and individual level.     

A New State-Level Index of Child Well-Being for Young Children in the U.S.

Public interest and public policy attention on the importance of cognitive and social development of young children has increased in recent years, at least in part, because scholars and researchers have found that experiences early in life have critical developmental consequences. Although scholars have generated a great deal of data on young children, relatively little is known about spatial variation in the well-being of young children. This study uses 12 indicators of child well-being to construct a comprehensive composite index of child well-being for children age 0 to 5 in each state in the United States. Examination of the 12 indicators of well-being for young children shows a high level of variation across states. The modest positive correlations among the four domains in the index suggest that they are measuring different elements of well-being. The composite index reveals that the well-being of young children follows a familiar spatial pattern, namely the well-being of young children in states located in the Deep South and the Southwest is relatively poor and the well-being of children in New England and the upper Midwest is relatively good. However, there are a several exceptions to this pattern which underscores the importance of examining the wellbeing of young children separately for all children. This study adds to a growing literature that uses an index of well-being to examine different groups of children.     

Cultural dimensions,socioeconomic development,climate, and emotional hedonic level

A research synthesis was conducted with four studies which correlated national mean self-ratings of affect balance (positive minus negative affect) and subjective well-being with the nations' cultural characteristics (individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, and power-distance national scores on Hofstede's dimensions), socioeconomic development (Human Development Index), and climate (absolute latitude). A meta-analysis of these collective level cross-cultural studies shows that individualism correlates positively with affect balance and subjective well-being, controlling for socioeconomic development, cultural femininity, power-distance, uncertainty avoidance, and climate. Similar results were found for individual-level data. The meaning of collective-level or national means of individual self-reports of affect balance is discussed.     

Relations between physical activity, weight discrepancies, body-cathexis, and psychological well-being in college women

This study examined the relations between physical activity, weight discrepancies, body-cathexis, and indicators of psychological well-being in college women. Factor analysis and zero-order correlation, and partial correlation analyses show that physical activity was not directly related to psychological well-being, however, physical activity did reduce weight discrepancies and improved body-cathexis. When specific body types were examined, there were distinctive patterns of satisfaction with body parts and processes depending on whether the women's body types conformed to or deviated from idealized weights and heights.     

Mindfulness meditation and reduced emotional interference on a cognitive task

The effect of mindfulness meditation (MM) on attentional control in emotional contexts was examined. In Study 1, MM practitioners (N = 28) categorized tones presented 1 or 4 s following the onset of affective pictures. Reaction times (RTs) to tones for affective minus neutral pictures provided an index of emotional interference. Participants with more MM experience showed less interference from affective pictures and reported higher mindfulness and psychological well-being. Study 2 was a controlled, randomized experimental study in which participants (N = 82) received MM training, relaxation meditation (RM) training, or no intervention (waiting-list control; WLC). Behavioral, self-report, and psychophysiological measures were administered before and after a 7-week intervention period. Although both MM and RM resulted in smaller skin conductance responses to unpleasant pictures and increased well-being, reductions in emotional interference from unpleasant pictures were specific to MM. These findings indicate that MM attenuates prolonged reactivity to emotional stimuli.

Does controlling for comorbidity matter? DSM‐oriented scales and violent offending in chicago youth

Mental health problems have long been linked to antisocial behaviors. Despite an impressive body of literature demonstrating this relationship and claims that comorbidity matters, few studies examine comorbidity using multiple distinct mental health indicators, with most studies instead adopting single or composite mental health measures. This study tested separate and comorbid effects of five DSM‐oriented mental health issues on self‐reported violence using a community‐based sample of Chicago youths from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods. Moreover, it utilized both primary caregiver and youth self‐reports of psychopathology across four developmental stages of childhood and adolescence. When examined separately, the results indicated affective/depressive, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity, and oppositional defiant/antisocial personality problems independently predicted violence. When considering comorbidity, however, only oppositional defiant and antisocial personality problems significantly predicted violence at any stage, regardless of informant type. Implications for future studies and policy are discussed. Aggr. Behav. 36:141–157, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Development as Happiness: The Subjective Perception of Happiness and UNDP’s Analysis of Poverty, Wealth and Development

This paper examines to what extent the concept of happiness is complementary to the United Nations Development Program's (UNDP) human development approach in the evaluation of poverty, wealth and development. The deconstruction of UNDP's discourse on and its measurement of these concepts show that its perspective is highly arbitrary. Poverty is exclusively defined as lack and state of ill-being, inferior to wealth regarded as a state of abundance and well-being. Development then becomes a teleological process trying to promote well-being through abundance. Yet, this external perspective of UNDP on well-being is questioned by the subjective perception of the individuals themselves. Happiness studies—which define happiness as the degree to which an individual judges the overall quality of his life-as-a-whole favorably—prove that higher levels of UNDP's development indicators are not necessarily better for subjective well-being. Despite methodological and conceptual problems, happiness studies discover that the individuals' perception of poverty, wealth and development can differ considerably from UNDP's perspective. Increased income, better objective health and higher levels of education do not automatically lead to greater happiness. Furthermore, additional dimensions essential for human happiness are detected by the research, yet not taken into account by UNDP. A country ranking comparison between the two approaches confirms the different visions of well-being. The integration of a happiness indicator in its analysis of poverty, wealth and development is thus indispensable for UNDP in order to correct its analytical and also practical approach to development.     

Risk perception and conspiracy theory endorsement predict compliance with COVID-19 public health measures

Public health measures such as spatial distancing and physical hygiene have been found effective in mitigating the spread of the coronavirus. However, there is considerable variability in individual compliance with such public health measures and factors contributing to these interindividual differences are currently still understudied. The present study set out to determine the role of risk perception and conspiracy theory endorsement on compliance with COVID-19 public health measures and explored variations in these associations across participant age and the developmental status of a country, leveraging a large multi-national data set (N = 45,772) across 66 countries/territories, collected via online survey during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic (between April and May 2020). Human Development Index (HDI), developed by the United Nations Development Program, was used as a proxy of a country's achievement in key dimensions of human development. Overall, higher risk perception was associated with greater compliance, particularly in individuals with greater conspiracy theory endorsement. Specifically, people from more developed countries who perceived themselves less at risk but showed stronger conspiracy theory endorsement reported the lowest compliance with COVID-19 public health measures. Findings from this study advance understanding of the interplay between risk perception and conspiracy theory endorsement in their effect on compliance with COVID-19 public health measures, under consideration of both individual-level and country-level demographic variables and have potential to inform the design of tailored interventions to fight the current and future global pandemics.     

National Valuing of Character Strengths and Indicators of National Development: A Pilot Study

Character strengths are personal qualities that have communal value and have been linked to personal happiness and well-being. Little research has investigated the degree to which strengths are valued across nations. Similarly, while certain strengths have been associated with indicators of well-being on an individual level, it is yet to be explored which strengths are associated with indicators of national development and well-being. The present study examined the relationship between perceived national valuing of character strengths and key national indicators. A sample of 2119 adults from 84 countries were asked to rate the extent to which each of 24 character strengths is valued by their country. Strength ratings were then compared to indices of national functioning: happiness, freedom, corruption, and gross domestic product per capita measured at purchasing power parity (GDP). The strengths the participants perceived as valued by their countries differed from their self-evaluations of their character strengths. Bravery was the most valued strength across all geographic regions and countries, and humility was the least. Valuing of humor was most consistently and strongly related to happiness. GDP was associated with less prudence, kindness, fairness, and honesty, and more bravery, perseverance, and spirituality. Greater honesty was reflective of less corruption. Freedom was inconsistently related to valuations of strengths. This study should be considered a pilot given its limitations, but it suggests the degree to which a society values certain socially important person variables does not appear to affect individual expression of character strengths, but may be related to national functioning.

     

Informing Policy Priorities using Inference from Life Satisfaction Responses in a Large Community Survey

Self-reported, quantitative, subjective measures of well-being, such as satisfaction with life overall, are increasingly looked to as measures of public welfare. While this trend is visible at the international and national government levels, regional initiatives and local communities are particularly important in seeking meaningful measures of the quality of human experience and of the success of local policies. Unlike other approaches in which well-being or progress indices are constructed using arbitrary or expert-generated weights on various domains of life experience, subjective well-being can be used to evaluate empirically the relative importance of specific measurable conditions and experiences in supporting a good life. Using a new, large community well-being survey carried out across the U.S. state of Connecticut, we use this method to evaluate the relationship between life satisfaction and a range of other socioeconomic circumstances and conditions. In support of a broad existing literature, we find enormous effects of security and social engagement as compared with variations in income. We then proceed to consider the prevalence of different socioeconomic conditions, in addition to their relative importance to affected individuals, to make inferences about the benefit-costs of feasible state and local policies. There remain some conditions, like social trust and the perceived responsiveness of local government to the needs of residents, which appear very important to well-being but for which the relationship with targeted resource allocation requires further investigation or policy experimentation.

     

Accuracy of parents' reports of height and weight

The accuracy of parents' reports of their own height and weight and the height and weight of their obese children, who were about to enter a weight control program, was assessed. Measured height and weights of 146 mothers, 55 fathers, and 150 children who attended a screening session were compared to the heights and weights they had previously reported on a demographic questionnaire. Eighty-four percent of the reported weights were accurate within ±5 lbs.; 71% of the reported heights were accurate within ±1 in. Parents' reports of weight tended to underestimate actual weights, with the magnitude of underestimation greater for mothers than for fathers, while reported heights overestimated actual height, with the magnitude of overestimation greatest for fathers. Errors in the parents' reports of children's weight were related to the child's actual weight and body mass index (BMI), with substantial underestimation of actual weight in the heaviest decile of children in the sample.Preparation of this paper was supported in part by Grant HDMH12520-01 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and Mental Health. Reprints can be obtained from Rena R. Wing, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, 3811 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261.     

Relationships Between Dysfunctional Beliefs and Positive and Negative Indices of Well-Being: A Critical Evaluation of the Common Beliefs Survey-III

The Common Beliefs Survey-III is a factored measure of dysfunctional beliefs and has generally shown satisfactory convergent validity and test–retest reliability [(2001) Journal of Rational-Emotive and Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 19(2), 89–103). We sought to further establish the utility of the measure by examining the extent the dysfunctional belief subscales related to a wide variety of positive and negative indices of well-being, after controlling for a potential confound, namely, social desirability. Four hundred and fifty-seven university students completed questionnaires that assessed six dimensions of dysfunctional belief, seven negative indices of well-being (depression, anxiety, stress, guilt, hostility, hopelessness, suicidal thinking), three positive indices of well-being (life satisfaction, joviality, state self-assurance), and social desirability. Analyses revealed that lower well-being was associated with (1) beliefs that self-worth is dependent on success, (2) beliefs that self-worth is dependent on approval, (3) demanding beliefs that reflect unrealistically high expectations for events and individuals. Belief variables predicted 14% of the variance in the negative indices but only 7.3% in the positive indices. Stepwise regression revealed that the optimal set of belief predictors depended on the type of well-being predicted. These findings have implications for both theory and practice.     

Re:Views

Human Development: Child development: An introduction. Robert F. Biehler. Human Development: Concepts and Theories of Human Development. Richard M. Lerner. Human Development: The Psychology of Adolescence. John E. Horrocks Human Development: Emotional Problems of Adolescents. J. Roswell Gallagher and Herbert I. Harris (3rd ed.). Human Development: CIRCUS, Form A. Reading, Mass. Human Development: From Childhood to Adolescence. Maria Montessori. Human Development: Child Adolescent Psychology (2nd ed.). Gene R. Medinnus and Ronald C. Johnson. Human Development: Developmental Education and Other Emerging Alternatives In Secondary Guidance Programs. G. Dean Miller, Editor. New Instructional Materials: Practical Counseling in the Schools. Gary S. Belkin. New Instructional Materials: Counseling Theory and Process. James C. Hansen, Richard R. Stevic and Richard W. Warner, Jr. (2nd ed.). New Instructional Materials: Ethical Standards Casebook. Robert Callis, Editor (2nd ed.). New Instructional Materials: Fundamentals of Guidance. Bruce Shertzer and Shelly C. Stone (3rd ed.). New Instructional Materials: Guidance in Today's Schools. Donald G. Mortensen and Alan M. Schmuller. (3rd ed.). New Instructional Materials: All Kinds of Weather Friend. Dwight Webb.     

For-profit/nonprofit differences in center-based child care quality: Results from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development

In secondary analyses of National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development data, multiple indicators of quality (caregiver wages and turnover; child/staff ratio; caregiver education and professionalism; positive caregiving) were compared between child care centers by sector (for-profit/nonprofit) and subsector (for-profit independent/chain, nonprofit church/nonchurch) at multiple points from infancy through prekindergarten. Nonprofit centers evidenced higher caregiver wages and education at most ages and better quality child/staff ratios, turnover, caregiver professionalism, and positive caregiving for toddlers and preschoolers. Subsector differences in preschool classrooms were more complex. In general, quality was higher in nonprofit non-religiously affiliated centers, intermediate in nonprofit religiously affiliated and for-profit independent centers, and lower in for-profit chains, but differences were not found on every indicator or between every group. Further, for-profit chain status predicted lower quality positive caregiving, controlling for family characteristics, staff, and structural quality, at 54 months, but not 36 months. Results support and extend prior research by controlling for family characteristics. Policy implications regarding supply- and demand-side quality-improvement strategies that address market competition and parent choice across subsectors are discussed.