Syracuse

Faster, higher, stronger… and happier? : relative achievement and marginal rank effects / Paul Dolan... [et al.]

Dolan, Paul

Most prior research on the relationship between relative attainment and subjective wellbeing focuses on relative income. The direction of this relationship may, however, be positive or negative. Defining the target comparison group can be challenging. This study focuses on a sample where ‘relative others’ are especially salient – Olympic athletes – and investigates relative achievement using a different ‘currency’ – medals. While prior research shows that bronze are happier than silver medalists, the authors find no difference unless there is a relatively close race at the bottom of the podium in the competition between silver, bronze, and fourth.

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