학술논문

Can Money Buy Happiness? Income and Multidimensional Life Satisfaction in Brunei Darussalam
Document Type
article
Source
Asian Development Review, Vol 40, Iss 01, Pp 113-150 (2023)
Subject
Brunei Darussalam
domains-of-life satisfaction
happiness
income
life satisfaction
multidimensional
Social sciences and state - Asia (Asian studies only)
H53
Language
English
ISSN
01161105
1996-7241
0116-1105
Abstract
This paper examines the nexus of income and multidimensional life satisfaction (LS) in the oil- and gas-rich Belait district of Brunei Darussalam. Using a random sample of 1,000 Belait residents and principal component factor analysis to sort 11 domains-of-life satisfaction into three uncorrelated LS spheres–LS with materialist life (job, stress, and income); LS with post-materialist life (family, spirituality, neighbors, and community activities); and LS with public life (health, neighborhood facility, feeling safe at home, and quality of living environment)—we discover the following. First, positive income effects on LS with materialist life sphere are evidenced from lower-middle- to high-income bands. Second, a positive income effect on LS with post-materialist life sphere is only found in the high-income band. Income does not relate to LS with public life sphere. These findings are robust to using each domains-of-life satisfaction and treating scores on domain satisfaction as ordinal and cardinal measures.