Using Taiwan's PSFD data and within-between panel data models, this study investigated the relation between marriage and happiness. It did not find a selection effect, indicating that there is no statistical evidence that married people were happier two or more years before getting married. There was a honeymoon effect during the marriage year. Several samples were constructed to investigate whether happiness level quickly returned to the baseline after marriage. The results of most samples showed that the happiness levels were significantly higher than the baseline within 3 years of marriage. Although the happiness level after the fourth year of marriage is not significant, its magnitude is not small, indicating a diversity of happiness status after 3 years of marriage. Marriage, on average, enhances happiness more and longer for women than for men.

SUMMARY This study uses the entry‐level wage of Taiwanese female college graduates to ensure a clear causality between the wage and physical appearance. It is found that height raises the entry wage, and that there exists an optimal BMI. Graduates who are satisfied with their looks earn 3.4% more than the average. The wage premiums for a good college grade and for all advantageous physical characteristics are significantly lower than that for admission to a selective college. Graduates who are satisfied with their looks are more likely to become full‐time workers and are less likely to be unemployed shortly after graduation.

This study considers both vertical and horizontal educational mismatches, with the former referring to overeducation and undereducation, and the latter to the mismatch between college major and job. It is found that the wage premium of the vertical educational match is greater than that of the horizontal educational match. A better vertical match augments the wage premium of an improvement in the horizontal match, and vice versa. The horizontal educational mismatch appears to be an extended scenario of overeducation because graduates from colleges with low rankings have a higher probability of being vertically overeducated as well as horizontally mismatched. Graduates from highly-ranked colleges are privileged to not only have high earnings but also to have low probabilities for the vertical and horizontal mismatches. These low probabilities indirectly raise their earnings. The indirect effects of academic characteristics on earnings are calculated. The approach we propose provides an insight into how academic characteristics comprehensively influence earnings.

The authors consider the absolute income effect and several relative income effects on happiness. The latter include both a longitudinal comparison, which consists of both upward and downward comparisons, and a parallel comparison with individuals of similar traits. It is found that the longitudinal comparison and parallel comparison exist simultaneously, although the downward comparison is insignificant. However, the symmetry of the upward comparison, downward comparison, and parallel comparison cannot be rejected. Because the absolute income effect and the relative income effects countervail, the effect of income growth on subjective well-being is likely to be negligible. Copyright � 2009 The Authors. Journal compilation � 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

The author appreciates the assistance given by the Center. The views expressed herein are those of the author alone. Why do women interact with their parents more often than men? The demonstration effect vs. the biological effect