Definition
In a longitudinal study, the happiness of the same people (the same sample or panel of respondents) is measured for an extended period of time. In practice, most panel studies conduct annual interviews.
Description
Longitudinal studies of happiness have advantages and payoffs similar to longitudinal studies in other areas of social science (e.g., longitudinal studies of income). Researchers can investigate stability and change in happiness, factors which may cause change, and the adaptations that people make to try and maintain or increase their happiness. Longitudinal studies have been a key source of advances in happiness research in the last 20 years or so. Previously, most studies were cross-sectional (i.e., data related to one moment in time), which precluded direct investigation of the causes of change.
The two longitudinal studies most frequently cited by QOL researchers are the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) and the British Household Panel Survey(BHPS). These...
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Headey, B. (2014). Longitudinal Investigations of Happiness. In: Michalos, A.C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_1700
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_1700
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