Faster, higher, stronger… and happier?

In this paper, co-authored with Chloe Foy, Georgios Kavetsos, and Laura Kudrna, Paul looks at how people evaluate their outcomes and achievements in relative and not only absolute terms. The study uses sports competitions to provide a salient comparator group for testing the importance of relative effects. For example, the authors found no bronze-silver happiness difference unless there is a relatively close race towards the bottom of the podium. You can read the full paper here.