5-point GLS categories vs standard deviations

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Set-points for Subjective Wellbeing real or
imagined?
Robert A. Cummins Australian Centre on Quality of
Life Deakin University
http//www.deakin.edu.au/research/acqol
O
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Wellbeing and Public Policy

• What is subjective wellbeing (SWB)?
• How might public policy change population SWB?
• What is the relevance of SWB set-points?
• Do SWB set-points really exist?
• and if they do
• is that the end of public policy usefulness?

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• Measuring SWB
• How satisfied are you with your life as a whole?

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Personal Wellbeing Index International Wellbeing
Group (2006) http//www.deakin.edu.au/research/acq
ol
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How satisfied are you with your ----?
Jones and Thurstone ,1955 11-point, end-defined
scale
Completely Dissatisfied
Completely Satisfied
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


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• We code all data to lie on a range from

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The Australian Unity Wellbeing Index Surveys

• Geographically representative sample
• N 2,000
• Telephone interview
• 1 April 2001
• ------------
• 26 Sept 2011

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Personal Wellbeing Index2001 - 2011
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Personal Wellbeing Index2001 - 2011
This represents a 3.0 percentage point variation
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Normative range using survey mean scores as data
(N26)
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Normative range using survey mean scores as data
(N26)
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Why is subjective wellbeing normally held so
steady?
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Why is subjective wellbeing normally held so
steady?

• Homeostasis
• Just like we hold body temperature steady
• Subjective wellbeing homeostasis

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Each person has a set-point for their subjective
wellbeing.
Individual set-points are distributed normally
in this area
The average set-point is 75
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Distribution of SWB in Australia
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Distribution of SWB in Australia
Most people live in a positive mood
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SWB is constantly at risk

• The result of subjective wellbeing loss is a high
• risk of
• Depression

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Defensive resources
Subjective wellbeing
X
Challenges
Behavior eg. Move away
Internal resources eg. Finding meaning
External resources eg. relationships, money
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So what is the relationship between the
circumstances of living and SWB?
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Theoretical model for subjective wellbeing
homeostasis
Dominant Source of SWB Control
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Theoretical model for subjective wellbeing
homeostasis
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Theoretical model for subjective wellbeing
homeostasis
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Theoretical model for subjective wellbeing
homeostasis
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Do you think a terrorist attack is likely in
Australia in the near future?
Evidence for SWB homeostasis 1
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Evidence for SWB homeostasis 2

• Why is SWB so stable as an average population
  value?

The explanatory logic rests on the existence of
set-points
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Each person has a set-point for their subjective
wellbeing.
These set-points lie between 60 and 90
Area for individual set-points
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-Homeostasis dominates and keeps the SWB for each
person within a narrow range. -So, the sample
variance is dominated by the set-points, which
vary over 30 percentage points.
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Evidence for SWB homeostasis 3
Why does the maximum score of groups never
reliably exceed about 82 points?
The explanatory logic rests on the existence of
set-points and set- point-ranges
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Why is the maximum group score limited to 82
points?
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Each set-point has a normal operating range of
about 20 points
Set-points
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Assume that each persons SWB moves to the upper
margin of their set-point-range
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Then, the whole sample will move from 75 points
to 85 points MAXIMUM
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-Assume that the maximum (10 points) is not
achieved by everyone. -Assume that the average
person in the sample increases by 7 points
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Then, 75 7 82 points
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Questions

• Are set-points real?
• If so, what is the actual magnitude of each
  set-point-range?

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Genetic evidence for set-points
Longitudinal studies on twins have led to
estimates that the stable component of SWB has a
heritability of some 40

• De Neve, J-E (2011) Functional polymorphism
  (5-HTTLPR Q1 ) in the serotonin transporter gene
  is associated with subjective well-being
  evidence from a US nationally representative
  sample.
• Journal of Human Genetics (2011)
  doi10.1038/jhg.2011.39

(N2574), people who have more efficient version
of the serotonin transporter gene, report
significantly higher levels of life satisfaction
(plt0.01).
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Household, Income and Labour Dynamics surveys
Collaborators Mark Wooden (Director, HILDA
Survey project) Ning Li (Statistician, MU) Mark
Stokes (Statistician, Deakin)
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Background
Over a 10 year period, 7,356 people completed the
survey every year. All things considered, how
satisfied are you with your life? (General Life
Satisfaction GLS). People responded on a 0-10
end-defined, bipolar scale All results are
standardized onto a 0 100 point scale.
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Logic

• Each person has provided 10 responses, so these
  can be used to calculate a mean and standard
  deviation for each person.

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Logic

• The variance for each person comprises
• Their normal set-point-range variance we want
  this
• Values outside their set-point-range either acute
  (burst of joy) or chronic (depression) we want
  to eliminate these

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Method

• A series of iterations whereby, for each
  individual person, values lying outside their
  normal range calculated from their 10 GLS
  scores are progressively eliminated.

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Method

• A series of iterations whereby, for each
  individual person, values lying outside their
  normal range calculated from their 10 GLS
  scores are progressively eliminated.

Steps 3 etc Repeat the above process for each
person until there are no further outliers
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Final steps
(a) combine the data on individual means and SDs
from 7,356 respondents (b) form 5-point GLS
categories based on each individuals mean
score(c) calculate the average SD for the people
in each category
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Raw data
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Assume no evidence of set-points
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What we hope to find after thelast iteration
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Actual data after the 5th iteration
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Conclusion Set-point-ranges exist between 70 to
90 points Each set-point-range is about 18 points
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These people are OK All are within their normal
set-point-range
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These people are NOT OK They have experienced
homeostatic failure and need more resources to
regain access to their set-point-range
These people are OK
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Summary

• SWB Homeostasis Rules OK
• 2. Set-points and set-point-ranges appear to have
  been confirmed
• 3. The implications for Public Policy are
• 3.1 Positive policy initiatives will have
  little impact on
• people with normal levels of SWB
• 3.3 Policy will have its greatest impact on
  population
• levels of SWB when directed to people
  experiencing
• homeostatic defeat