Research
Publications
Macchia, L., Plagnol, A.C., & Powdthavee, N. (2020). Buying happiness in an unequal world: Rank of income more strongly predicts wellbeing in unequal countries. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 46(5), 769-780. [Paper]
Whillans, A.V, Macchia, L., & Dunn, E. (2019). Valuing time over money predicts happiness after a major life transition: A pre-registered longitudinal study of graduating students. Science Advances, 5, 9. [Paper]
Macchia, L.* & Whillans, A.V*. (In press, 2019). Leisure beliefs and the subjective well-being of nations. Journal of Positive Psychology. [Paper]
Macchia, L., & Plagnol, A.C. (2019). Life satisfaction and confidence in national institutions: Evidence from South America. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 14(3), 721-736. [Paper]
Macchia, L., & Plagnol, A.C. (2019). The subjective well-being political paradox: Evidence from Latin America. Chapter in: Mariano Rojas (ed.). The Economics of Happiness: How the Easterlin Paradox Transformed our Understanding of Wellbeing and Progress. Oxford University Press. [Website]
Macchia, L., Plagnol, A.C. & Reimers, S. (2018). Does experience with high inflation affect intertemporal decision making? Sensitivity to inflation rates in Argentine and British delay discounting choices. Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics, 75, pp. 76–83. [Paper]
Plagnol, A.C., & Macchia, L. (2018). Economics of subjective well-being: Evaluating the evidence for the Easterlin Paradox. Chapter in: Ayse K. Uskul and Shige Oishi (eds.). Socioeconomic Environment and Human Psychology: Social, Ecological, and Cultural Perspectives. Oxford University Press. [Website]
Manuscripts under review or revision
Macchia, L., & Ariely, D. Sense of justice differs across resources: Implications for redistributive policy support. Under review: Behavioral Science and Policy.
Macchia, L., & Whillans, A.V. Understanding whether and when income inequality is associated with happiness: The case of Latin America. Under review: World Development.
Proulx, J.*, Macchia, L.*, Aknin, L.B., & Whillans, A.V. Can youth-focused prosociality interventions increase generosity? A pre-registered field experiment. Under review: Comprehensive Results in Social Psychology.
Macchia, L. Greater availability of educational opportunities undermines the happiness of the rich. Under review: Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.
Macchia, L.*, & Whillans, A.V.* Whether & when income & income inequality shape generosity around the world: A multiverse approach. Under review: American Psychologist.
Selected research in progress
Macchia, L., & Oswald, A. The Easterlin Paradox in modern data. Target journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
Macchia, L., Easterlin, R.A., & Plagnol, A.C. Trends and fluctuations in subjective well-being in Latin America since the 1990s. Target journal: World Development.
Gonzalez, A., Macchia, L., & Whillans, A.V. The cycle of inequality: The parental transmission and behavioral consequences of children’s inequality attributions. Target journal: Psychological Science.
Whillans, A.V., Macchia, L., Vanderwheele, T., Chen, Y., & Kim, E. How charitable giving shapes health and well-being: An outcome-wide longitudinal analysis. Target journal: Psychological Science.
Giurge, L.*, Macchia, L.*, Whillans, A. V.*, & Yemiscigil, A.* How COVID-19 shapes students’ extrinsic and prosocial work values: The role of uncertainty, worry and reflection. Target journal: Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes.
Plagnol, A., Kanji, S., Chung, H., & Macchia, L. The gendered division of the mental load among couples: Development and validation of a quantitative measure.
Macchia, L., Plagnol, A.C., Reimers, S., Corr, P.J., Murray, I., & Kappes, A. The role of voters’ cognitive reflection and personality in the 2016 Brexit Referendum. Target journal: Social Psychology and Personality Science.
*Shared first authorship.