Who Compares to Whom? The Anatomy of Income Comparisons in Europe
基于大规模调查数据，研究了欧洲人收入比较的强度与方向，发现四分之三的人认为收入比较至少有些重要，且与较低的主观幸福感和更高的再分配需求相关。
This article provides unprecedented direct evidence from large-scale survey data on both the intensity (how much?) and direction (to whom?) of income comparisons. Income comparisons are considered to be at least somewhat important by three-quarters of Europeans. They are associated with both lower levels of subjective well-being and a greater demand for income redistribution. The rich compare less and are happier than average when they do, which latter is consistent with relative income theory. With respect to the direction of comparisons, colleagues are the most frequently-cited reference group. Those who compare to colleagues are happier than those who compare to other benchmarks. Copyright © The Author(s). Journal compilation © Royal Economic Society 2010.