Abstract
Social leisure is generally found to be positively correlated with life satisfaction in the empirical literature. We ask if
this association captures a genuine causal effect by using panel data from the GSOEP. Our identification strategy exploits
the change in social leisure brought about by retirement, since the latter is an event after which the time investable in
(the outside job) relational life increases. We instrument social leisure with various measures of the age cohort specific
probability of retirement. With such approach we document that social leisure has a positive and significant effect on life
satisfaction. Our findings shed some light on the age-happiness pattern. Policy implications are also discussed.
this association captures a genuine causal effect by using panel data from the GSOEP. Our identification strategy exploits
the change in social leisure brought about by retirement, since the latter is an event after which the time investable in
(the outside job) relational life increases. We instrument social leisure with various measures of the age cohort specific
probability of retirement. With such approach we document that social leisure has a positive and significant effect on life
satisfaction. Our findings shed some light on the age-happiness pattern. Policy implications are also discussed.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-38
- DOI 10.1007/s11205-011-9887-5
- Authors
- Leonardo Becchetti, Department of Economics, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Via Columbia 2, 00133 Rome, Italy
- Elena Giachin Ricca, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Via Columbia 2, 00133 Rome, Italy
- Alessandra Pelloni, Department of Economics, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Via Columbia 2, 00133 Rome, Italy
- Journal Social Indicators Research
- Online ISSN 1573-0921
- Print ISSN 0303-8300
