biostudies-literatureKaiser CEuropean Research Councile2210412119https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9586273biostudies-literatureUnknown119(42)Human feelings measured in integers (<i>my happiness is an 8 out of 10</i>, <i>my pain 2 out of 6</i>) have no objective scientific basis. They are "made-up" numbers on a scale that does not exist. Yet such data are extensively collected-despite criticism from, especially, economists-by governments and international organizations. We examine this paradox. We draw upon longitudinal information on the feelings and decisions of tens of thousands of randomly sampled citizens followed through time over four decades in three countries (<i>n</i> = 700,000 approximately). First, we show that a single feelings integer has greater predictive power than does a combined set of economic and social variables. Second, there is a clear inverse relationship between feelings integers and subsequent get-me-oProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of AmericaThe scientific value of numerical measures of human feelings.PMC9586273856455Oswald AJKaiser CfalseThe scientific value of numerical measures of human feelings.Human feelings measured in integers (<i>my happiness is an 8 out of 10</i>, <i>my pain 2 out of 6</i>) have no objective scientific basis. They are "made-up" numbers on a scale that does not exist. Yet such data are extensively collected-despite criticism from, especially, economists-by governments and international organizations. We examine this paradox. We draw upon longitudinal information on the feelings and decisions of tens of thousands of randomly sampled citizens followed through time over four decades in three countries (<i>n</i> = 700,000 approximately). First, we show that a single feelings integer has greater predictive power than does a combined set of economic and social variables. Second, there is a clear inverse relationship between feelings integers and subsequent get-me-o2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Oct2025-04-19T21:21:16.057Z2025-04-19T21:21:16.057ZS-EPMC95862733619117910.1073/pnas.2210412119