Impact and Happiness: The Key Role of Generativity on Subjective Wellbeing

Abstract We define generativity as the expected social impact of a given action, distinguishing it from earlier notions of pure altruism and warm glow, and modeling it as a key driver of subjective wellbeing. We test the impact of generativity on subjective wellbeing using data from the European Social Survey and find that generativity is positively and significantly associated with subjective wellbeing. Our results are consistent across survey waves and various demographic subgroups (gender, age, and education) and are significant when considering only individuals who live in the same country. Furthermore, by applying an instrumental variable approach, we also examine the causal relationship between generativity and subjective wellbeing. Our findings imply that public policies should establish conditions that enable and promote citizens’ generative behavior and practices.