I december-numret av Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (tidigare Journal of Socio-Economics) har Boris Nikolaev och Ainslee Burns studerat hur sambandet mellan socio-ekonomisk rörlighet mellan generationer och subjektivt välbefinnande. De har jämfört barn med sina föräldrar i tre dimensioner: socialklass, utbildning och inkomst.

De väntade resultaten:
We find that downward mobility with respect to all three measures has a negative effect on the self-reported level of happiness and subjective health while upward mobility is associated with positive outcomes in subjective well-being.

De nästan lika väntade resultaten:
The positive and negative effect of social and educational mobility, however, is entirely through the income and health channels...

Det mest intressanta resultatet:
...while income mobility has an impact on subjective well-being even after controlling for the current level of income and health.

Vidare:
We further find that the effect of income mobility on subjective well-being peaks between the ages of 35–45 years and then slowly dissipates.