Higher Income Is Associated With Less Daily Sadness but not More Daily Happiness

Kushlev, Kostadin; Dunn, Elizabeth W.; Lucas, Richard E.

doi:10.1177/1948550614568161

Cited by 113Psychological Well-being and Life SatisfactionHealth disparities and outcomesEmployment and Welfare Studies

Higher Income Is Associated With Less Daily Sadness but not More Daily Happiness

Kushlev, Kostadin, Dunn, Elizabeth W., Lucas, Richard E.·2015·Social Psychological and Personality Science

DOI 10.1177/1948550614568161

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Abstract

Although extensive previous research has explored the relationship between income and happiness, no large-scale research has ever examined the relationship between income and sadness. Yet, happiness and sadness are distinct emotional states, rather than diametric opposites, and past research points to the possibility that wealth may have a greater impact on sadness than happiness. Using data from a diverse cross section of the U.S. population ( N = 12,291), we show that higher income is associated with experiencing less daily sadness, but has no bearing on daily happiness. This pattern of findings could not be explained by relevant demographics, stress, and people’s daily time use. Although causality cannot be inferred from this correlational data set, the present findings point to the possibility that money may be a more effective tool for reducing sadness than enhancing happiness.

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Just a handful of studies have examined the relationship between income and experienced well-being.
“By contrast, just a handful of studies have examined the relationship between income and experienced well-being (11–14), which is how good or bad a person feels during the moments of their life.”
From Experienced well-being rises with income, even above $75,000 per year (2021) · cites this paper as [13]

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Income Reliably Predicts Daily Sadness, but Not Happiness: A Replication and Extension of Kushlev, Dunn, and Lucas (2015)
Hudson, N. W., Lucas, R. E., Donnellan, M. B., & Kushlev, K. (2016) · Social Psychological and Personality Science · doi:10.1177/1948550616657599 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Self-citation
Money Does Not Always Buy Happiness, but Are Richer People Less Happy in Their Daily Lives? It Depends on How You Analyze Income
Kudrna, L., & Kushlev, K. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.883137 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Self-citation
Income Predicts Frequent but Not Intense HappinessPreprint
Mo, R., Greenberg, A. E., & Jachimowicz, J. M. (2020) · OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints)
Income More Reliably Predicts Frequent Than Intense Happiness
Jachimowicz, J., Mo, R., Greenberg, A. E., Jeronimus, B. F., & Whillans, A. V. (2020) · Social Psychological and Personality Science · doi:10.1177/1948550620972548 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Does Money Buy Happiness? Disentangling the Association Between Income, Happiness and Stress
Demenech, L. M., de Almeida, R. B., Neiva-Silva, L., & Dumith, S. C. (2022) · Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências · doi:10.1590/0001-3765202220210364 · Cited by 7 · see citing works

Authors: Kushlev, K., Dunn, E. W., & Lucas, R. E.
Affiliations: University of British Columbia (CA)
Michigan State University (US)
Corresponding author: Kushlev, Kostadin
ORCID: Kushlev, Kostadin
Dunn, Elizabeth W.
Lucas, Richard E.
Venue: Social Psychological and Personality Science
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Published: 2015-01-09
Volume: 6
Issue: 5
Pages: 483-489
ISSN: 1948-5506 (ISSN-L)
1948-5514
DOI: 10.1177/1948550614568161
OpenAlex: W2319126308
Cited by: 113
References: 46
Citations by year: 2026: 4 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 4
FWCI: 15.84
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations: Social Psychological and Personality Science (publishedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Employment and Welfare Studies
Keywords: income, happiness, sadness, daily emotions, wealth and well-being, positive and negative affect, time use, stress, causal inference

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Higher Income Is Associated With Less Daily Sadness but not More Daily Happiness

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