Researchers found that people who were overweight – particularly women – had lower income and greater social deprivation. Also, increases in income do not affect most people’s levels of life satisfaction, a study suggests.
Increases in income do not make people more satisfied with their life
The saying goes that “you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover,” but when it comes to height and weight, a new study suggests discrimination might persist.
Published in The BMJ, the research found that people who are overweight or shorter in height might have fewer life chances than their normal-weight or taller peers.
Researchers found that people who were overweight – particularly women – had lower income and greater social deprivation.
Also, increases in income do not affect most people’s levels of life satisfaction, a study suggests.
Researchers tracked 18,000 adults over a nine-year period in the United Kingdom (U.K.) and Germany, asking them annually about their income level and how satisfied they were with life.
The current study, published in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, accounted for shifting circumstances such as entering or leaving work, as well as changes to health and household make-up.
They found that people with higher salaries were no more likely to have a high life satisfaction than those who did not.
“It is often assumed that as our income rises, so does our life satisfaction, however, we have discovered this is not the case,” said lead researcher Dr Christopher Boyce from University of Stirling.
“What really matters is when income is lost and this is only important for people who are highly conscientious.”
Psychologists define the personality trait of conscientiousness as being very thorough in attitudes to life and work, and being efficient and organised.
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