Individual utilities of life satisfaction reveal inequality aversion unrelated to political alignment

Cooper, Crispin ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6371-3388, Fredrich, Ana, Reggiani, Tommaso ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3134-1049 and Poortinga, Wouter ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6926-8545 2026. Individual utilities of life satisfaction reveal inequality aversion unrelated to political alignment. Social Indicators Research 183 , 12. 10.1007/s11205-026-03854-4

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Abstract

How should well-being be prioritised in society, and what trade-offs are people willing to make between fairness and personal well-being? We investigate these questions using a stated preference experiment with a nationally quasi-representative UK sample (n = 300), in which participants evaluated life satisfaction outcomes for both themselves and others under conditions of uncertainty. Individual-level utility functions were estimated using an Expected Utility Maximisation (EUM) framework and tested for sensitivity to the overweighting of small probabilities, as characterised by Cumulative Prospect Theory (CPT). A majority of participants displayed concave (risk-averse) utility curves and showed stronger aversion to inequality in societal life satisfaction outcomes than to personal risk. These preferences were unrelated to political alignment, suggesting a shared normative stance on fairness in well-being that cuts across ideological boundaries. The results challenge use of average life satisfaction as a policy metric and support the development of nonlinear utility-based alternatives that more accurately reflect collective human values. Implications for public policy and well-being measurement are discussed.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Architecture Schools > Psychology Schools > Business (Including Economics) Schools > Computer Science & Informatics
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HB Economic Theory J Political Science > JA Political science (General)
Publisher:	Springer
ISSN:	0303-8300
Funders:	NSF, UKRI International Science Partnerships Fund
Projects:	EP/Y026233/1
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	13 May 2026
Date of Acceptance:	2 May 2026
Last Modified:	04 Sep 2026 21:15
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/186967

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