Nonsense on stilts, or meaningless surveys department
The New Economics Foundation("We believe in economics as if people and the planet mattered") has published a survey to which the BBC has given a gushing write up. The NEF has supposedly shown that Vanuatu is the happiest state on the planet, whereas we British types languish in 108th place. I decided to do a little digging to see whether they have anything that could reasonably be called a methodology, and found this. Can't say I'm exactly impressed by measuring happiness based on this 'equation':
Here is its rather mealy mouthed attempt to define 'life satisfaction'
In order for any poll to have anything approaching statistical validity, one generally has to poll upwards of a thousand people. There is no note anywhere as to how many people were polled, but I very much doubt that they polled 1000 people in 178 countries, as even supposing it only cost £1 per pollee, we are talking about £178 000. Quite a lot of money for small think tank.
Beyond that, the sheer number of variables is immense - are people happier or less so at different times of the day, week, year etc etc, men, women, children etc etc etc. Where they live, what they do yadda yadda...
Meanwhile, if Vanuatuans are that happy, good luck to them, but I will not be presuming that they are, based on this rubbish.
The New Economics Foundation("We believe in economics as if people and the planet mattered") has published a survey to which the BBC has given a gushing write up. The NEF has supposedly shown that Vanuatu is the happiest state on the planet, whereas we British types languish in 108th place. I decided to do a little digging to see whether they have anything that could reasonably be called a methodology, and found this. Can't say I'm exactly impressed by measuring happiness based on this 'equation':
| HPI = | Life satisfaction x Life expectancy |
| | |
Ecological Footprint |
Here is its rather mealy mouthed attempt to define 'life satisfaction'
In order for any poll to have anything approaching statistical validity, one generally has to poll upwards of a thousand people. There is no note anywhere as to how many people were polled, but I very much doubt that they polled 1000 people in 178 countries, as even supposing it only cost £1 per pollee, we are talking about £178 000. Quite a lot of money for small think tank.
Beyond that, the sheer number of variables is immense - are people happier or less so at different times of the day, week, year etc etc, men, women, children etc etc etc. Where they live, what they do yadda yadda...
Meanwhile, if Vanuatuans are that happy, good luck to them, but I will not be presuming that they are, based on this rubbish.
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, July 12, 2006 at 5:49 pm.
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Nothing wrong with 108. It's the sacred Buddhist number.
you really do offer variety on your blog Croydonian.Bit o politics,bit o french politics and every now and then a bit o bollocks.If the BBCs backing it,I don't believe it.
Is there some tag line that ten more years of Bliar and we'll be in the top ten?
Thank you people.
RM - I do what I can to entertain / divert the people (and me, natch), so if I'm succeeding, that's good.
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