Feeling poor or feeling poorer: comparing subjective measures of income in predicting health and well-being ( Sentirse pobre o más pobre: comparación de medidas subjetivas del nivel de ingresos en la predicción de la salud y el bienestar )

Abstract

Separate areas of research have found that need-based and relative-based operationalizations of subjective income are important for health. Need-and relative-based measures are conceptually distinct, but differential implications for downstream outcomes have never been directly tested. In the present study, US residents (N = 844) reported their subjective-need and subjective-relative income, as well as their health and well-being. Subjective-need and subjective-relative had distinct and sometimes opposing associations with mental and physical health. Individuals who reported that their income adequately met their needs reported higher life satisfaction, meaning in life and positive affect, and lower physical health symptoms, mental health symptoms and negative affect. Individuals who reported that their income was higher than others reported higher life satisfaction, meaning in life and positive affect, as well as higher physical health symptoms, mental health symptoms and negative affect. The present work provides a nuanced perspective on the operationalizations of subjective income and implications for psychological outcomes. RESUMENEn distintas áreas de investigación se ha comprobado que las operativizaciones del nivel de ingresos subjetivo basadas en la necesidad percibida y/o en los ingresos relativos percibidos son importantes para la salud. Las medidas subjetivas relativas y las basadas en la necesidad son conceptualmente distintas, pero nunca se han explorado directamente sus implicaciones diferenciales en los resultados posteriores. En este estudio, los participantes de una muestra de ciudadanos estadounidenses (N = 844) indicaron sus ingresos subjetivos en relación con su necesidad percibida y en función del nivel relativo percibido, y valoraron también su nivel de salud y de bienestar. Los ingresos subjetivos ARTICLE HISTORY

The Perceived Economic Scarcity Scale: A valid tool with greater predictive utility than income

“…First, we generated 3 × 3 items measuring the evaluative aspect of economic scarcity. Drawing on the achievement motivations literature on the standards of evaluation (Elliot & Murayama, 2008; Gilbert et al., 2023; Sommet et al., 2019), we generated three items for each of the standards one might use to evaluate their economic situation as scarce (i) by assessing the resources they have as inferior to the resources they need (an absolute reference point, e.g. ‘I do not have enough money to cover monthly expenses’), (ii) by comparing their economic situation to others (an other‐based reference point, e.g.…”

“…Goethals & Darley, 1977). We know from the literature on achievement motivation that individuals typically assess self‐attributes such as competence, economic position or even subjective income, using one of two standards of evaluation (for theoretical work, see Elliot, 1999; for work relevant to the economic domain, see Gilbert et al., 2023; Sommet et al., 2019). On the one hand, individuals can assess their resources as sufficient or insufficient based on a task‐based standard, which in our case means determining whether their resources are inferior (scarcity) or superior (abundance) to their needs (i.e.…”

Introduction to the special issue: nuances of social class and socioeconomic status ( Introducción a este monográfico: los matices del concepto de clase social y del nivel socioeconómico )

“…Gilbert et al (2023) make an innovative direct comparison between two subjective income-related measures of SES, and how they are associated with health and well-being outcomes. A need-based measure assesses how well people think their income allows them to buy basic goods, and a relative measure assesses subjective comparisons with others.…”

“…Gilbert et al (2023) realizan una novedosa comparación directa entre dos medidas del NSE relacionadas con los ingresos subjetivos y sus vínculos con la salud y el bienestar. Una medida basada en la necesidad evalúa en qué medida los participantes perciben que sus ingresos les permiten adquirir bienes básicos, mientras que una medida relativa establece comparaciones subjetivas con otras personas.…”