Peer-reviewed 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. (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., & 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]
Book chapters
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]
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., & Oswald, A. Physical pain, gender, and the business cycle in 146 nations. Under review: Social Science & Medicine.
Macchia, L., & Whillans, A.V. Whether & when income & income inequality shape prosocial behaviour around the world: A multiverse approach. Under review: Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.
Macchia, L. Educational opportunities, social mobility, and the happiness of the rich around the world. Under review: Social Psychological and Personality Science.
Macchia, L., & Ariely, D. Building on people's sense of justice: A novel approach to elicit preferences for redistribution. Under review: Policy and Politics.
Gonzalez, A., Macchia, L., & Whillans, A.V. The perpetuation of inequality: Parental transmission and behavioral consequences of children’s inequality attributions. Under review: Developmental Science.
Plagnol, A., Chung, H., Kanji, S., & Macchia, L. Parents’ division of housework and the mental load during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. Under review: Community, Work & Family.
Macchia, L., & Plagnol, A.C. Subjective well- being in Latin America: The role of political orientation and the electoral cycle. Invited revision: Social Indicators Research.
Proulx, J., Macchia, L., Aknin, L.B., & Whillans, A.V. Can youth-focused prosociality interventions increase generosity? A pre-registered field experiment. Accepted in principle: Comprehensive Results in Social Psychology.
Selected research in progress
Macchia, L., Plagnol, A.C., & Easterlin, R.A. Trends and fluctuations of subjective well-being and macroeconomic indicators in Latin America. Target journal: World Development. Write-up in progress.
Macchia, L. Whether and how college opportunities shape the wellbeing and policy preferences of the rich: Cross-national and experimental evidence. Target journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the USA. Data collection in progress.
Macchia, L. Having less income than others is painful: A worldwide analysis of buffering mechanisms. Target journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Write-up in progress.