Subjective or Objective? How Objective Measures Relate to Subjective Life Satisfaction in Europe
Quality of life and life satisfaction are topics that currently receive a great deal of attention across the globe. Many approaches exist, which use both qualitative and quantitative methods, to capture these phenomena. Historically, quality of life was measured exclusively by economic indicators. H...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-05-01
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| Series: | ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2220-9964/9/5/320 |
| _version_ | 1797568166274007040 |
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| author | Karel Macků Jan Caha Vít Pászto Pavel Tuček |
| author_facet | Karel Macků Jan Caha Vít Pászto Pavel Tuček |
| author_sort | Karel Macků |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Quality of life and life satisfaction are topics that currently receive a great deal of attention across the globe. Many approaches exist, which use both qualitative and quantitative methods, to capture these phenomena. Historically, quality of life was measured exclusively by economic indicators. However, it is indisputable that other factors influence people’s life satisfaction, which is captured by subjective survey-based data. By contrast, objective data can easily be obtained and cover a wider range, in terms of population and area. In this research, the multiple fuzzy linear regression model is applied in order to explain the relationship between subjective life satisfaction and selected objective indicators used to evaluate quality of life. The great advantage of the fuzzy model lies in its ability to capture uncertainty, which is undoubtedly associated with the vague concept of subjective life satisfaction. The main outcome of the paper is the detection of indicators that have a statistically significant relationship with life satisfaction. Subsequently, a pan-European sub-national prediction of life satisfaction after the consideration of the most relevant input indicators was proposed, including the uncertainty associated with the prediction of such a phenomenon. The study revealed significant regional differences and similarities between the originally reported satisfaction of life and the predicted one. With the help of spatial and non-spatial statistics supported by visual analysis, it is possible to assess life satisfaction more precisely, while taking into account the ambiguity of the perception of life satisfaction. Additionally, predicted values supplemented with the uncertainty measure (fuzzy approach) and the synthesis of results in the form of European typology help to compare and contrast the results in a more useful manner than in existing studies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:52:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6180153201eb4dcc8642032ce6ae79e2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2220-9964 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:52:33Z |
| publishDate | 2020-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information |
| spelling | doaj.art-6180153201eb4dcc8642032ce6ae79e22023-11-20T00:12:42ZengMDPI AGISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information2220-99642020-05-019532010.3390/ijgi9050320Subjective or Objective? How Objective Measures Relate to Subjective Life Satisfaction in EuropeKarel Macků0Jan Caha1Vít Pászto2Pavel Tuček3Department of Geoinformatics, Palacký University in Olomouc, 779 00 Olomouc, Czech RepublicDepartment of Regional Development, Mendel University in Brno, 613 00 Brno, Czech RepublicDepartment of Geoinformatics, Palacký University in Olomouc, 779 00 Olomouc, Czech RepublicDepartment of Geoinformatics, Palacký University in Olomouc, 779 00 Olomouc, Czech RepublicQuality of life and life satisfaction are topics that currently receive a great deal of attention across the globe. Many approaches exist, which use both qualitative and quantitative methods, to capture these phenomena. Historically, quality of life was measured exclusively by economic indicators. However, it is indisputable that other factors influence people’s life satisfaction, which is captured by subjective survey-based data. By contrast, objective data can easily be obtained and cover a wider range, in terms of population and area. In this research, the multiple fuzzy linear regression model is applied in order to explain the relationship between subjective life satisfaction and selected objective indicators used to evaluate quality of life. The great advantage of the fuzzy model lies in its ability to capture uncertainty, which is undoubtedly associated with the vague concept of subjective life satisfaction. The main outcome of the paper is the detection of indicators that have a statistically significant relationship with life satisfaction. Subsequently, a pan-European sub-national prediction of life satisfaction after the consideration of the most relevant input indicators was proposed, including the uncertainty associated with the prediction of such a phenomenon. The study revealed significant regional differences and similarities between the originally reported satisfaction of life and the predicted one. With the help of spatial and non-spatial statistics supported by visual analysis, it is possible to assess life satisfaction more precisely, while taking into account the ambiguity of the perception of life satisfaction. Additionally, predicted values supplemented with the uncertainty measure (fuzzy approach) and the synthesis of results in the form of European typology help to compare and contrast the results in a more useful manner than in existing studies.https://www.mdpi.com/2220-9964/9/5/320satisfactionquality of lifefuzzysub-nationalspatial |
| spellingShingle | Karel Macků Jan Caha Vít Pászto Pavel Tuček Subjective or Objective? How Objective Measures Relate to Subjective Life Satisfaction in Europe ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information satisfaction quality of life fuzzy sub-national spatial |
| title | Subjective or Objective? How Objective Measures Relate to Subjective Life Satisfaction in Europe |
| title_full | Subjective or Objective? How Objective Measures Relate to Subjective Life Satisfaction in Europe |
| title_fullStr | Subjective or Objective? How Objective Measures Relate to Subjective Life Satisfaction in Europe |
| title_full_unstemmed | Subjective or Objective? How Objective Measures Relate to Subjective Life Satisfaction in Europe |
| title_short | Subjective or Objective? How Objective Measures Relate to Subjective Life Satisfaction in Europe |
| title_sort | subjective or objective how objective measures relate to subjective life satisfaction in europe |
| topic | satisfaction quality of life fuzzy sub-national spatial |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2220-9964/9/5/320 |
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