Are We Really Measuring the Quality of Life?<i>Well‐being Has Subjective Dimensions, As Well As Objective Ones</i>

These results contradict conclusions reached by survey researchers who siwdy the perceptual aspects of the quality of life and must rethink the methods used in future of life studies, Psychographic and demographic data must be integrated.

Abstract

A bstract . In order to compare the quality of life (QOL) in U.S. metropolitan areas economic, sociological, political and cultural data are often gathered and equally weighted without regard for the way QOL is perceived by those who live there. Basing our comparisons of U.S. metropolitan areas solely on objective data or official statistics biases the results so that there is little relationship between one set of measures and another. These results contradict conclusions reached by survey researchers who siwdy the perceptual aspects of the quality of life. Therefore, we must rethink the methods used in future of life studies, Psychographic and demographic data must be integrated.