International Journal of Engineering Research in Electronics and Communication Engineering

Machine Learning with Happiness: A case Study from WVS Data 2012 to 2014

Author : Yu Tan ¹ Charuk Singhapreecha ² Jirakom Sirisrisakulchai ³

Date of Publication :20th May 2021

Abstract: Happiness is the current important research issues in psychology and social sciences, which is affecting people's daily lifestyle, work habits and thinking patterns, it also provides guidance for government policy making. However, in the current analysis of happiness, there are many challenges in variable selection and prediction. Due to the large personal differences and differences in determinants of the experience of happiness, this undoubtedly makes the modeling of happiness more difficult. Based on reviewing several academic literatures, this paper uses questionnaire data from 20 countries in World Values Survey Database, then uses machine learning methods to compare traditional regression approach with machine learning regression approach to predict happiness. Finally, some determinants variables were found. To a certain extent, the elastic net method applied in model was successfully used to predict happiness, social factors, economic factors and personal factors affect the modeling and prediction of happiness in varying degrees, which brought new opportunities for the development of related theories and practices at the study of happiness.

Reference :

1. Layard, R., 2011. Happiness: Lessons from a New Science. Penguin, UK.
2. Andrews, F. M., & Withey, S. B. (1976). Social indicators of well-being. New York: Plenum Press.
3. Campbell, A. (1981). The sense of well-being in America. New York: McGraw-Hill.
4. Emmons, R. A., & Diener, E. (1985). Factors predicting satisfaction judgment: A comparative examination. Social
5. Tsou, M. W., & Liu, J. T. (2001). Happiness and domain satisfaction in Taiwan. Journal of Happiness Studies, 2, 269–288.
6. Gitmez, A. S., & Morc¸o¨l, G. (1994). Socioeconomic status and life satisfaction in Turkey. Social Indicators Research, 31, 77
7. Easterlin, R. A. (1974). Does economic growth improve the human lot? Some empirical evidence. In Nations and households in economic growth (pp. 89-125). Academic Press.
8. Easterlin, R. A. (1995). Will raising the incomes of all increase the happiness of all?. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 27(1), 35- 47.
9. Clark, A. E., & Oswald, A. J. (1994). Unhappiness and unemployment. The Economic Journal, 104(424), 648-659
10. Ng, Y. K. (1996). Happiness surveys: Some comparability issues and an exploratory survey based on just perceivable increments. Social Indicators Research, 38(1), 1-27.