Cross-cultural variations in predictors of life satisfaction: Perspectives from needs and values
Abstract
The authors tested for cross-cultural difference in predictors of life satisfaction. In Study 1 (39 nations, N = 54,446), they found that financial satisfaction was more strongly associated with life satisfaction in poorer nations, whereas home life satisfaction was more strongly related to life satisfaction in wealthy nations. In Study 2 (39 nations, N = 6,782), the authors found that satisfaction with esteem needs (e.g., the self and freedom) predicted global life satisfaction more strongly among people in individualist nations than people in collectivist nations. The present investigation provides support for the needs and values-as-moderators model of subjective well-being at the cultural level. The need for theories that account for culture-specific as well as universal predictors of life satisfaction will be discussed.
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Self-esteem and identity consistency, both more highly valued in individualistic than collectivistic cultures, relate more strongly to life satisfaction in the former cultures.
“self-esteem and identity consistency, both more highly valued in individualistic than collectivistic cultures, relate more strongly to life satisfaction in the former cultures”
From Implications of an Emerging Integration of Universal and Culturally Specific Psychologies (2006) · cites this paper as Oishi, Diener, Lucas, & Suh, 1999
PSE is correlated more strongly with life satisfaction in individualistic than in collectivistic societies.
“PSE was found to be correlated more strongly with life satisfaction in individualistic than in collectivistic societies [9, 25].”
From Self-esteem and subjective well-being revisited: The roles of personal, relational, and collective self-esteem (2017) · cites this paper as [25]
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- Authors
- Oishi, S., Diener, E. F., Lucas, R. E., & Suh, E. M.
- Affiliations
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US)
- Corresponding author
- Oishi, Shigehiro
- Venue
- Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 1999-08
- Volume
- 25
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 980-990
- ISSN
- 0146-1672 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-7433
- OpenAlex
- W2075637488
- Semantic Scholar
- 40b1d57702afcbe0e1668a031a9081357e7840e7
- Cited by
- 728
- References
- 40
- Citations by year
- 2026: 16 · 2025: 23 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 26 · 2022: 26 · 2021: 42 · 2020: 34 · 2019: 35 · 2018: 30 · 2017: 45 · 2016: 31 · 2015: 38 · 2014: 52 · 2013: 45 · 2012: 45
- FWCI
- 16.86
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Cultural Differences and Values
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Psychometric Methodologies and Testing
- Keywords
- life satisfaction, subjective well-being, cross-cultural comparison, financial satisfaction, esteem needs, individualism-collectivism, cultural moderators, wealth and happiness
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