Comparing the Anamnestic Comparative Self-Assessment (ACSA) to a Conventional Happiness Question Without Anchoring Elsy Verhofstadt 1 & Brent Bleys 2 & Luc Van Ootegem 1,3 Received: 10 May 2017 /Accepted: 26 December 2017 # Springer Science+Business Media B.V., part of Springer Nature and The International Society for Quality- of-Life Studies (ISQOLS) 2018 Abstract The Anamnestic Comparative Self-Assessment (ACSA) uses a self- anchoring rating scale to measure subjective well-being. Because of its internal frame of reference, ACSA is argued to be less influenced by cultural relativities and psycho- logical traits. We collect survey data in Flanders that contain both a conventional happiness question (CQ) and ACSA. It is the first time that ACSA data are collected in a developed country outside of a clinical setting. In line with previous research, we find that the mean score for ACSA is significantly lower than the mean CQ score and that both scores are positively correlated. Social life (family, relationships, and friends) is cited most when self-anchoring the best period in life, whereas health issues and personal events are most often linked to the worst period in life. These findings add to the idea that the anchors of the ACSA scale are universal. In a simple model, we find that ACSA is determined by two variables that can change over time: being employed and being in a relation. In an extended model, however, ACSA ’ s insensitivity Applied Research Quality Life https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-017-9589-5 * Elsy Verhofstadt elsy.verhofstadt@UGent.be Brent Bleys brent.bleys@UGent.be Luc Van Ootegem luc.vanootegem@UGent.be 1 Sherppa, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Sint Pietersplein 6, 9000 Ghent, Belgium 2 Department of General Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Tweekerkenstraat 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium 3 Research Institute for Work and Society (HIVA), KULeuven, Leuven, Belgium