Life Quality and Wealth: A Qualitative and Quantitative Comparison of Affluent and Poor People

It is well-documented that affluent people, on average, have higher subjective wellbeing (SWB) than do poor people. The reasonhas been explained using SWB homeostasis theory. However, a more precise understanding of the differences in personal experiencethat lead to homeostatic failure remains to be documented. We sought such understanding through qualitative interviews anda quantitative examination of SWB domains. Twenty affluent people and 20 people dependent on social welfare completedan interview and the Personal Wellbeing Index. As expected, the two groups differed significantly in SWB. Moreover, the poorgroup reported a preponderance of negative life experiences while the affluent group concentrated on the positive events in theirlives. Most telling was the finding that both the qualitative and quantitative methods identified the area of ‘relationships’ asrepresenting the greatest degree of divergence between the two groups. This life domain is especially relevant in the maintenanceof normative levels of SWB.