哪些参照群体重要以及如何重要？一项使用行政数据的相对收入信息实验
Which Reference Groups Matter and How? A Relative Income Information Experiment with Administrative Data
American Economic Journal: Applied Economics · 2026 · [{"name": "Xiaogeng Xu", "affiliation": ["Hanken School of Economics"]}, {"name": "Satu Metsälampi", "affiliation": ["University of Turku", "Turku University of Applied Sciences"]}, {"name": "Michael Kirchler", "affiliation": ["Universität Innsbruck"]}, {"name": "Kaisa Kotakorpi", "affiliation": ["Tampere University"]}, {"name": "Peter Hans Matthews", "affiliation": ["Middlebury College"]}, {"name": "Topi Miettinen", "affiliation": ["Hanken School of Economics"]}]
中文摘要
传统观点认为收入排名对生活满意度很重要，但关于收入比较的性质及其影响的因果证据仍然有限。我们从一个具有代表性的芬兰职业生涯中期人群样本中抽取个体，将其随机分配，使之接收来自若干参照群体之一的个人排名信息。我们发现排名信息对收入满意度存在影响的有力证据，但对生活满意度的影响较弱，并在实验数据和行政数据中发现了一些真实效应的证据。在范围较窄的参照群体中效应较强，而在全国性参照群体中效应较弱且不显著。最后，我们讨论了这些发现对收入透明度政策的启示。（JEL D31, D63, D83, D91, I31）
Abstract
Received wisdom holds that income rank matters for life satisfaction, but causal evidence on the nature and impact of income comparisons is limited. We randomize individuals from a representative sample of mid-career Finns to receive personal rank information from one of several reference groups. We find strong evidence of the effect of rank information on income satisfaction, but weaker effects on life satisfaction, and some evidence of real effects in experimental and administrative data. Effects are strong in narrow reference groups and weak and insignificant in the national one. Finally, we discuss the implications for income transparency policies. (JEL D31, D63, D83, D91, I31)