Séminaire COURNOT – Stefano Bartolini (University of Siena)

Détails de l'événement :

Titre : A Social Cure for Social Comparisons

Résumé : Social comparisons have severe negative consequences for happiness, health, and economic decisions. Is there a remedy? Some research suggests that social comparisons are intrinsic human characteristics rooted in the biology of the brain. We offer an alternative view based on approximately 400000 interviews from nationally representative surveys. Specifically, we assess whether people with high social capital suffer less from social comparisons than others. Controlling for demographic factors, we find that socially isolated people are more likely to be concerned about whether they earn more or less than others. Conversely, keeping up with the Joneses matters less for the well-being of individuals with high social capital. This result is reflected at country level: in countries that are rich in social capital, the differences in well-being between income groups are small, which is a consequence of the relatively small impact of social comparisons on well-being. This evidence suggests that social capital attenuates the negative consequences of social comparisons for subjective well-being.

Lieu du séminaire : Salle du Conseil Paul Chamley et ZOOM

Lien ZOOM : https://cnrs.zoom.us/j/92186172770?pwd=UXV4VXhQMkNtL1JER25YZkp2WGoyQT09

Agenda des séminaires : https://www.beta-economics.fr//seminaires-cournot-2022-2023/