We use two waves of a population based survey (the RAND American Life Panel) to investigate the relations between various evaluative and experienced well-being measures based on the English Longitudinal Study of Aging, the Gallup Wellbeing Index, and a 12-item hedonic well-being module of the Health and Retirement Study. In a randomized set-up we administered several versions of the survey with different response scales. Using factor analysis, we find that all evaluative measures load on the same factor, but the positive and negative experienced affect measures load on different factors. We find evidence of an effect of response scales on both the estimated number of underlying factors and their relations with demographics. We conclude that finer response scales allowing more nuanced answers offer more reliability. The relation of evaluative and experienced measures with demographics are very different; perhaps the most striking aspect is the lack of a consistent relation of experienced well-being measures with income, while evaluative well-being is strongly positively related with income.

We use two waves of a population based survey (the RAND American Life Panel) to investigate the relations between various evaluative and experienced well-being measures based on the English Longitudinal Study of Aging, the Gallup Wellbeing Index, and a 12-item hedonic well-being module of the Health and Retirement Study. In a randomized set-up we administered several versions of the survey with different response scales. Using factor analysis, we find that all evaluative measures load on the same factor, but the positive and negative experienced affect measures load on different factors. We find evidence of an effect of response scales on both the estimated number of underlying factors and their relations with demographics. We conclude that finer response scales allowing more nuanced answers offer more reliability. The relation of evaluative and experienced measures with demographics are very different; perhaps the most striking aspect is the lack of a consistent relation of experienced well-being measures with income, while evaluative well-being is strongly positively related with income.

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Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. www.econstor.eu We study effects of financial incentives on the retirement age using stated preference data. Dutch survey respondents were given hypothetical retirement scenarios describing age(s) of (partial and full) retirement and replacement rate(s). A structural model is estimated in which utility is the discounted sum of within period utilities that depend on employment status and income. Parameters of the utility function vary with observed and unobserved characteristics. Simulations show that the income and substitution effects of pensions as a function of the retirement age are substantial and larger than according to studies using data on actual retirement decisions. Terms of use: Documents in D I S C U S S I O N P A P E R S E R I E S NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARYWe analyze stated preference data on retirement. Survey respondents of ages 25 and older in the Netherlands were given hypothetical retirement scenarios describing the age(s) of (partial and full) retirement and corresponding replacement rates. Several types of retirement trajectories were considered -with retirement before, at, or after the standard retirement age (65 years), with and without gradual retirement, and with various replacement rates during partial and full retirement. The data were collected in 2006, 2007 and 2008, partly for the same respondents.The SP data are used to estimate an intertemporal utility model in which the individual's utility is the discounted sum of within period utilities that depend on employment status (working, partially retired, or (fully) retired) and income in that period. Parameters of the utility function vary with observed and unobserved respondent characteristics and the year of data collection. The estimated model is used to analyze how retirement preferences differ by background characteristics and how they evolve over the survey years. Simulating the choice of the retirement age under actuarially fair and unfair trade-offs, we then analyze how the preferred retirement age changes if pension income levels change irrespective of the retirement age (the "(pension) income effect"), or if the pension benefit accrual induced by delaying retirement changes (the "price" or "substitution" effect).Confirming most findings in the international literature, we find large effects of financial incentives on the preferred retirement age, often even larger than the effects found with revealed preferences, in line with the fact that we allow for flexible choices wi...