Interesting Links for 12-09-2014

[andrewducker]

• Researchers search for genes behind intelligence, find almost nothing
  (tags: genetics intelligence )
• How Google’s Autonomous Car Passed the First U.S. State Self-Driving Test
  (tags: Google cars )
• How Simon Pegg's daughter saved Star Wars
  (tags: starwars )
• Parliament without Scottish MPs: how would it have looked different since 1997?
  (tags:

Comments

Hands down, people without kids have better lives—except for this one major thing

[drdoug]

Interesting. I've seen other bits of research on the topic that report parents as *less* likely to say they're happy when you ask 'How happy are you today?' or 'How happy are you right now?'. But I think I've also seen the effect reverse if the question is broader in time scope so it's more like 'Thinking about your life overall, how happy are you?'.

But either way round, there's a massive confounder in there. My very strong guess is that some people really want kids, and some people really don't. (With some in the middle.) Over time, most of the people who really want kids have kids, and most of the people who don't, don't. Comparing self-reported happiness from parents and non-parents doesn't tell you about whether those people would be happier if they switched their parent status. Certainly from my anecdotal experience, people who really want kids but don't have them tend to be pretty bloody miserable about it, and so are people who really don't want kids but do have them.

(As an aside, I'm always suspicious of (some) 'happy' research. I don't want to be happy! Well, all equal I'd much rather be happy than sad, of course, but more important to me is doing the right thing. For me, and I suspect others, there's a big difference between happiness and life satisfaction. Although even then, I would rather do more good and feel less satisfied, up to a limit.)

So I don't think this sort of research is likely to generate actionable insight for people wondering whether to have children, which it is often presented as.

Re: Hands down, people without kids have better lives—except for this one major thing

[quirkytizzy]

I agree with this. I think whether or not you are happy (or happIER) with kids boils a lot down to whether or not having kids is achieving some personal goal you've set...or if having kids is something you consider a mistake. Personally, I mean. I think if you think being a parent will be fulfilling, you'll find yourself fulfilled. If you think it WON'T be fulfilling, you won't feel fulfilled.

[a_pawson]

The situation is complicated by social expectations. Society expects parents to adore their kids, and tell everyone who will listen that they bring more happiness than anything else ever could, even when that is not true.

[cairmen]

Something that would be very interesting to hear is whether the question about happiness was asked after all the other questions in the survey(s), and whether there was any preamble.

For example, "We're doing a survey of parents against non-parents, and we just wanted to ask you one question - " rather clearly leads in - as does asking the happiness question after all the other questions about kids.

[channelpenguin]

Also people tend to say they are happier with things that have cost them a lot of money more than things that haven't....

Re: Hands down, people without kids have better lives—except for this one major thing

[andrewducker]

I agree that it's not actionable.

Re: Hands down, people without kids have better lives—except for this one major thing

[brixtonbrood]

The other huge confounder is that there is a big difference in fertility rates by social class, for which the Huff Post hasn't corrected.

The huge giveaway is that the parents are significantly more likely to smoke. Is that because the childfree have such stress-free lives that they find it easier to quit? No, it's because they were more middle class to begin with.

Re: Hands down, people without kids have better lives—except for this one major thing

[drdoug]

Oh, good catch!