Objective and subjective indicators of happiness in Brazil: the mediating role of social class

J Soc Psychol. 2009 Apr;149(2):267-71. doi: 10.3200/SOCP.149.2.267-272.

Abstract

The authors tested the proposition that monetary household income affects subjective well-being (E. Deiner, E. M. Suh, R. E. Lucas, & H. L. Smith, 1999) through the mediating mechanisms of objective and subjective social classes. The present authors drew a representative sample in a door-to-door survey format from a Brazilian urban center. Using a back-translated version of E. Diener, R. A. Emmons, R. J. Larson, and S. Griffin's (1985) Satisfaction With Life Scale, the present authors demonstrated a significant relation with income. However, this effect was mediated by objectively and subjectively measured social classes. These effects reinforce, extend, and internationally generalize the Person x Situation perspective elaborated by E. Diener et al. (1999).

MeSH terms

  • Brazil
  • Happiness*
  • Humans
  • Income*
  • Personal Satisfaction*
  • Regression Analysis
  • Social Class*
  • Urban Population