Quality of Life System: A system created to measure what type of life you live. This system can account for a subjective view of quality or a broader objective view.
When creating a quality of life system, the goal is to create a way to consistently gauge what quality of life you are living. Obviously the word quality is inherently subjective, but the result is generally more based on the inputs. If you use objective inputs, the result tends to be more of an index as it is more comparative. When using subjective inputs, the system tends to be viewed as indicating happiness. Therefore, the system itself can take on different meanings based on the inputs you select.
The System
Objective measures should mostly surround money. This is the case due to the ability to exchange it for almost anything. This also is quantitative making it far more objective. The weights for each of the inputs for the formula should get stronger and stronger as what we are using gets closer to the individual. The scope should start with basing itself on the world poverty line. Simply because this should amplify how much better developed countries have it. By default their quality of life is far better. The next input should be the poverty line for their country along with a measure of the rights afforded to a citizen. Then comes the locality the individual resides in. This should measure how well off the area is along with how dangerous it is. You should use a crime index and the average household income. Finally comes the individual, where we want to look at their income as well as having a modifier for their net worth. This should remove the skew that older people will cause. Combining these inputs should be able to produce a broad quality of life system.
Inputs
– World Poverty Line
– Country Poverty Line
– Country Individual Rights
– City Crime index
– City Average Household Income
– Individual Income + Individual Net Worth
Subjective measures should mostly surround feelings. Not so much how much money they have, but if they feel they have enough money to cover certain things. The best way to base this formula is to use Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Looking at the deficiency needs which consist of 4 tiers, the level in which you satisfy each need above and beyond the need should be what is being measured. Satisfying each in general should not produce a perfect score. Instead, it should simply permit it to reach the higher numbers. The physiological and safety tiers are generally viewed as the basic needs which would mean that they should form the baseline of the formula. The esteem and belonging tiers are viewed as the psychological needs and should round out the formula. As esteem is the highest of the deficiency needs, it should be the hardest to raise the result. Forming a questionnaire to indirectly gauge these where the individual stands in each of these is probably the best way to create this system.
Inputs
– Esteem
– Belonging
– Safety
– Physiological