Happiness and Time Preference: The Effect of Positive Affect in a Random-Assignment Experiment

S-Tier
Journal: American Economic Review
Year: 2011
Volume: 101
Issue: 7
Pages: 3109-29

Authors (2)

John Ifcher (not in RePEc) Homa Zarghamee (Columbia University)

Score contribution per author:

4.022 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

We conduct a random-assignment experiment to investigate whether positive affect impacts time preference, where time preference denotes a preference for present over future utility. Our result indicates that, compared to neutral affect, mild positive affect significantly reduces time preference over money. This result is robust to various specification checks, and alternative interpretations of the result are considered. Our result has implications for the effect of happiness on time preference and the role of emotions in economic decision making, in general. Finally, we reconfirm the ubiquity of time preference and start to explore its determinants. (JEL D12, D83, I31)

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aecrev:v:101:y:2011:i:7:p:3109-29
Journal Field
General
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-29