Some current utility models presume that people are concerned
with their relative standing in a reference group. If this is
true, do certain types care more about this than others? Using
simple binary decisions and self-reported happiness, we investigate
both the prevalence of ``difference aversion'' and whether
happiness levels influence the taste for social comparisons.
Our decision tasks distinguish between a person s desire to
achieving the social optimum, equality or advantageous relative ...
Some current utility models presume that people are concerned
with their relative standing in a reference group. If this is
true, do certain types care more about this than others? Using
simple binary decisions and self-reported happiness, we investigate
both the prevalence of ``difference aversion'' and whether
happiness levels influence the taste for social comparisons.
Our decision tasks distinguish between a person s desire to
achieving the social optimum, equality or advantageous relative
standing. Most people appear to disregard relative payoffs,
instead typically making choices resulting in higher social
payoffs. While we do not find a strong general correlation
between happiness and concern for relative payoffs, we do
observe that a willingness to lower another person s payoff
below one s own (competitive preferences) seems correlated
with unhappiness.
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