Keeping Up with the Joneses and Staying Ahead of the Smiths: Evidence from Suicide Data

FRB of San Francisco Working Paper No. 2006-12

56 Pages Posted: 26 Jul 2007

See all articles by Mary C. Daly

Mary C. Daly

Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco

Daniel J. Wilson

Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco

Date Written: April 2006

Abstract

This paper empirically assesses the theory of interpersonal income comparison using a unique data set on suicide deaths in the United States. We treat suicide as a choice variable, conditional on exogenous risk factors, reflecting one's assessment of current and expected future utility. Using this framework we examine whether differences in group-specific suicide rates are systematically related to income dispersion, controlling for socio-demographic characteristics and income level. The results strongly support the notion that individuals consider relative income in addition to absolute income when evaluating their own utility. Importantly, the findings suggest that relative income affects utility in a two-sided manner, meaning that individuals care about the incomes of those above them (the Joneses) and those below them (the Smiths). Our results complement and extend those from studies using subjective survey data or data from controlled experiments.

Keywords: Income distribution, Relative income, interpersonal comparisons, Social class, interdependent preferences, suicide, happiness

JEL Classification: I31, D6, H0, J0

Suggested Citation

Daly, Mary Colleen and Wilson, Daniel J., Keeping Up with the Joneses and Staying Ahead of the Smiths: Evidence from Suicide Data (April 2006). FRB of San Francisco Working Paper No. 2006-12, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1003027 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1003027

Mary Colleen Daly (Contact Author)

Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco ( email )

101 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
United States

Daniel J. Wilson

Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco ( email )

101 Market Street
Mail Stop 1130
San Francisco, CA 94105
United States

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