Happy Lives
Time Allocation, Experiential Well-Being, and Income: Happier Time for the Richer?
Nicola Daniele Coniglio, Rezart Hoxhaj & Raffaella Patimo
Kyklos, forthcoming
Abstract:
Do richer individuals allocate their time to activities that result in higher levels of happiness? Do people experience different levels of happiness for the same activities based on their income levels? This study offers a comprehensive examination of these questions, drawing from the American Time Use Survey (ATUS). Our findings reveal that income shapes individuals' allocation of time, but "money does not buy happier time." We find evidence that high-income women and in general high-income people during weekends and holidays tend to allocate more time in activities that lead to higher experiential well-being. Yet, interestingly, we find that the subjective well-being derived by rich people from the activities they perform more frequently is substantially lower than the one experienced by an average US resident when performing the same activities. Happiness associated with the use of time seems to be in the eyes of the beholder, as we find that subjective happiness differences between rich and poor are explained by different preferences over similar activities (time use preference channel) rather than a different allocation of time (activity-composition channel).
The effect of peers' genetic predisposition to depression on own mental health
Yeongmi Jeong
Journal of Health Economics, forthcoming
Abstract:
This paper studies how peers' genetic predisposition to depression affects own mental health during adolescence and early adulthood using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). I exploit variation within schools and across grades in same-gender grademates' average polygenic score -- a linear index of genetic variants -- for major depressive disorder (the MDD score). An increase in peers' genetic risk for depression has immediate negative impacts on own mental health. A one standard deviation increase in same-gender grademates' average MDD score significantly increases the probability of being depressed by 1.9 and 3.8 percentage points for adolescent girls (a 7.2% increase) and boys (a 25% increase), respectively. The effects persist into adulthood for females, but not males. I explore several potential mechanisms underlying the effects and find that an increase in peers' genetic risk for depression in adolescence worsens friendship, increases substance use, and leads to lower socioeconomic status. These effects are stronger for females than males. Overall, the results suggest that there are important social-genetic effects in the context of mental health.
Social Comparisons and Adolescent Body Misperception: Evidence From School Entry Cutoffs
Christopher Carpenter & Brandyn Churchill
Health Economics, September 2025, Pages 1691-1730
Abstract:
We provide novel evidence on the role of social comparisons in shaping adolescent body misperception. Using an instrumental variables approach leveraging variation in relative age generated by school entry cutoff months and data from the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children study, we show that relatively younger students are more likely to describe their bodies as lighter than the clinically relevant BMI category implied by their reported heights and weights compared to their same-age counterparts who are relatively older within their respective classrooms. This result is driven by relatively younger students who are classified as normal weight for their age describing themselves as "too thin." We then show that relatively younger students are more likely to desire to gain weight, consume more calorie-dense foods, and report lower levels of physical activity. Overall, our results suggest that relatively younger students base their weight-related expectations and behaviors on their older peers.
Higher sensory processing sensitivity is associated with reduced vagally-mediated heart rate variability
Jordan Kenemore, Grant Benham & Angela Martinez
Personality and Individual Differences, November 2025
Abstract:
Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is a biologically based trait characterized by heightened responsiveness to environmental stimuli and emotional reactivity. Prior research has identified associations between SPS and poorer self-reported physical health, however its physiological underpinnings remain poorly understood. This study examined the relationship between SPS and heart rate variability (HRV), a marker of autonomic flexibility. Participants were 185 young adult females who completed the Highly Sensitive Person Scale and underwent a three-minute resting electrocardiogram recording to assess HRV. SPS was significantly negatively associated with two measures of HRV (root mean square of successive differences and high-frequency HRV), suggesting reduced autonomic flexibility in individuals with higher SPS. Additionally, exploratory factor analysis of the SPS measure revealed two factors: ease of excitation and low sensory threshold, which were both negatively associated with HRV. All associations remained significant after controlling for respiration rate. Our results contribute to the growing body of evidence linking personality traits to physiological functioning, suggesting that autonomic regulation may be an important mechanism underlying the relationship between SPS and health outcomes. Future research should investigate environmental moderators of these effects and assess whether interventions such as HRV biofeedback and mindfulness can enhance autonomic regulation in high-SPS individuals.
Three-Day Blues after Ecstasy/MDMA Use: Evidence from A Longitudinal And Daily Analysis in the European Nightlife Scene
Matthijs Blankers et al.
Drug and Alcohol Dependence, forthcoming
Methods: Data for this study were obtained from a longitudinal and momentary analysis in the European nightlife scene (ALAMA study). Using ecological daily assessment, participants were asked to complete a daily 3-minute questionnaire for 35 days. Young adults (age 18-34) from the United Kingdom (n=120) and the Netherlands (n=124) who use ecstasy/MDMA were recruited in the nightlife scene and using social media campaigns. Substance use, psychological well-being and pathology, sleep quality, harm reduction behaviours, and socio-demographics data were collected digitally through a smartphone app.
Results: Participants reported on average a significant drop in mental well-being in the three days following ecstasy/MDMA use (B=-0.14, SE=0.04, p<.001) even when accounting for other substance use, socio-demographics, applied harm reduction strategies, measures of depression, anxiety and sleep quality. For commonly used substances other than ecstasy/MDMA and cocaine, no significant associations with mental well-being in the three days following their use were found.