Tools- of Changes

The Relationship Between Car Shedding and Subjective Well-Being

This open-access research article summarizes a Swiss panel study that found that car shedding (giving away a vehicle so that the household no longer has its own car) can have a positive effect on feelings of joy up to three years after the event, if not related to affordability. Affordability-driven car shedding, in contrast, was associated with decreased leisure satisfaction and feelings of joy up to three years later. 

The authors used data from the Swiss Household Panel (2006-2017) with a fixed-effects model to assess year-to-year changes in evaluative and affective well-being (life satisfaction, leisure satisfaction, joy, and anger) before and after car shedding. Separate analyses were conducted for non-affordability-driven and affordability-driven car shedders .

Non-affordability-driven car shedding had a positive effect on feelings of joy one to three years after the event. Affordability-driven car shedding, in contrast, was associated with a decrease in leisure satisfaction and feelings of joy up to three years later. Levels of positive affective wellbeing already decreased in anticipation of affordability-driven car shedding.