Laboratory evidence for emotional externalities: an essay in honor of EJ Mishan

Sgroi, D., Proto, E. , Oswald, A. J. and Dobson, A. (2016) Laboratory evidence for emotional externalities: an essay in honor of EJ Mishan. Singapore Economic Review, 61(3), 1640015. (doi: 10.1142/S0217590816400154)

Abstract

Professor EJ Mishan was a world expert on the idea of externalities. In this paper, we provide evidence for the intuitive idea of “emotional externalities”. These might be viewed as psychological spillovers from the well-being of one person upon the well-being of another. A new form of laboratory experiment is implemented. “Happiness” answers are elicited in the first few seconds of the experiment. Tragic life events — like family illness and bereavement — are then studied. The paper documents evidence consistent with a powerful caring-about-others effect. The paper’s results also suggest an approximate equivalence between life-satisfaction data and happiness data.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Proto, Professor Eugenio
• Authors: Sgroi, D., Proto, E., Oswald, A. J., and Dobson, A.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > Adam Smith Business School > Economics
• Journal Name: Singapore Economic Review
• Publisher: World Scientific Publishing
• ISSN: 0217-5908
• ISSN (Online): 1793-6837
• Published Online: 19 May 2016
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2016 World Scientific Publishing Company
• First Published: First published in Singapore Economic Review 61(3): 1640015
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy