3. The Utility Model
The Mathematics of Utility
Why a 1-point gain in satisfaction is not always equal.
The traditional policy frameworks (Benthamite and Rawlsian) assume that the 0-10 Life Satisfaction scale is linear. However, psychological and economic research demonstrates that human wellbeing follows a curve of diminishing marginal utility.
A Shift In Perspective
The public no longer cares about raw numbers; they care about actual happiness. A £100 boost changes a struggling person's life, but is just pocket change to someone wealthy.
Use the slider below to see how the exact same +1 Life Satisfaction boost affects different citizens in reality.
Heating their home, paying rent, or affording three meals a day.
To accurately model a population, a simulation must convert raw 0-10 Life Satisfaction scores into non-linear utility values.