This paper analyses the role played by individual subjective well-being (SWB) in childbearing behavior. We use the German Socio Economic Panel (GSOEP) survey, which contains repeated information about SWB, childbearing events and, importantly, also measures of respondents’ personality, to estimate the way SWB matters for having a(nother) child, con-trolling for personality traits (PTs). We find that SWB positively predicts childbearing for women and men, with the effect significant (and sizable) for both genders only for the second child. Furthermore, we assure that – although PTs are a strong component of SWB variability – the effect of SWB on fertility is not determined by PTs.

Is it just a matter of personality? On the role of well-being in childbearing behavior

LE MOGLIE, MARCO;MENCARINI, LETIZIA;RAPALLINI, CHIARA
2015

Abstract

This paper analyses the role played by individual subjective well-being (SWB) in childbearing behavior. We use the German Socio Economic Panel (GSOEP) survey, which contains repeated information about SWB, childbearing events and, importantly, also measures of respondents’ personality, to estimate the way SWB matters for having a(nother) child, con-trolling for personality traits (PTs). We find that SWB positively predicts childbearing for women and men, with the effect significant (and sizable) for both genders only for the second child. Furthermore, we assure that – although PTs are a strong component of SWB variability – the effect of SWB on fertility is not determined by PTs.
2015
2015
LE MOGLIE, Marco; Mencarini, Letizia; Rapallini, Chiara
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
JEBO_lemoglie_mencarini_rapallini.pdf

non disponibili

Descrizione: articolo principale
Tipologia: Pdf editoriale (Publisher's layout)
Licenza: NON PUBBLICO - Accesso privato/ristretto
Dimensione 2.32 MB
Formato Adobe PDF
2.32 MB Adobe PDF   Visualizza/Apri

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11565/3985813
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 42
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 42
social impact