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- Title
¿Son las personas mayores tan felices como las jóvenes? Limitaciones metodológicas de los análisis de regresión.
- Authors
BERICAT, EDUARDO
- Abstract
The article aims to answer two important questions, both linked to emotional well-being throughout lifetime: Are old as happy as young people? What is the relationship between age and happiness? The current academic consensus states that the relationship between age and subjective well-being follows a «UShape». Happiness would be high in youngsters, would decrease to a minimum about midlife, and would ascend to reach again a high point in old age. Then, according to this thesis, old would be as happy as young people. However, we show that these research results come from the own methodological constraints of regression analysis. Additionally, these analyses try to find the generic and universal relationship between age, considered as an abstract variable, and happiness. But, not surprisingly, an age variable devoid of any social content and context has a meagre influence on people happiness. These inquiries lack any sociological interest because hide more than reveal the actual relationship between "social age" and happiness. The article deploys a critique of the irreflexive and conventional way in which regression analysis is used by social scientists. The segmentation of age in five stages (childhood, youthfulness, adulthood, maturity and old age), and descriptive multivariate analysis are proposed as the best methodology to study happiness throughout the lifetime. Finally, it is proved that the age-happiness relationship follows the pattern of a "wave" or "S lying down-shape". Therefore, the happiness of the old is much lower than that of young people.
- Subjects
OLDER people's attitudes; MIDDLE age; REGRESSION analysis; MULTIVARIATE analysis; MARKET segmentation
- Publication
EMPIRIA: Revista de Metodología de Ciencias Sociales, 2020, Vol 47, p153
- ISSN
1139-5737
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.5944/empiria.47.2020.27428