Older Americans May Be Happier Than Younger Ones

By Shankar Vedantam Washington Post Staff Writer Monday, July 14, 2008; Page A04 Many times in science, research studies point in conflicting directions. Part of the challenge -- and the fun -- of watching science is to try to sort out lines of intersecting evidence hidden amid a welter of confusing data. In recent months, however, several studies have produced a stream of evidence that mostly points in the same direction, and also happens to overturn one of the most stubborn American stereotypes: the belief that this is a land whose gifts, charms and joys flow mostly to young people. The studies show that when you check on how happy people are at various ages, the elderly generally come out ahead. Related Resources:

• Social Inequalities in Happiness in the United States, 1972 to 2004: An Age-Period-Cohort Analysis Yang Yang; American Sociological Review, Volume 73 Number 2, April 2008