Abstract
The relative importance of emotions versus normative beliefs for life satisfaction judgments was compared among individualist and collectivist nations in 2 large sets of international data (in total, 61 nations, N = 62,446). Among nations, emotions and life satisfaction correlated significantly more strongly in more individualistic nations (r = .52 in Study 1; r = .48 in Study 2). At the individual level, emotions were far superior predictors of life satisfaction to norms (social approval of life satisfaction) in individualist cultures, whereas norms and emotions were equally strong predictors of life satisfaction in collectivist cultures. The present findings have implications for future studies on cultural notions of well-being, the functional value of emotional experiences, and individual differences in life satisfaction profiles.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 482-493 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Journal of Personality and Social Psychology |
| Volume | 74 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1998 Jan 1 |
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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Social Psychology
- Sociology and Political Science
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The Shifting Basis of Life Satisfaction Judgments Across Cultures : Emotions Versus Norms. / Suh, Eun Kook; Diener, Ed; Oishi, Shigehiro; Triandis, Harry C.
In: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 74, No. 2, 01.01.1998, p. 482-493.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - The Shifting Basis of Life Satisfaction Judgments Across Cultures
T2 - Emotions Versus Norms
AU - Suh, Eun Kook
AU - Diener, Ed
AU - Oishi, Shigehiro
AU - Triandis, Harry C.
PY - 1998/1/1
Y1 - 1998/1/1
N2 - The relative importance of emotions versus normative beliefs for life satisfaction judgments was compared among individualist and collectivist nations in 2 large sets of international data (in total, 61 nations, N = 62,446). Among nations, emotions and life satisfaction correlated significantly more strongly in more individualistic nations (r = .52 in Study 1; r = .48 in Study 2). At the individual level, emotions were far superior predictors of life satisfaction to norms (social approval of life satisfaction) in individualist cultures, whereas norms and emotions were equally strong predictors of life satisfaction in collectivist cultures. The present findings have implications for future studies on cultural notions of well-being, the functional value of emotional experiences, and individual differences in life satisfaction profiles.
AB - The relative importance of emotions versus normative beliefs for life satisfaction judgments was compared among individualist and collectivist nations in 2 large sets of international data (in total, 61 nations, N = 62,446). Among nations, emotions and life satisfaction correlated significantly more strongly in more individualistic nations (r = .52 in Study 1; r = .48 in Study 2). At the individual level, emotions were far superior predictors of life satisfaction to norms (social approval of life satisfaction) in individualist cultures, whereas norms and emotions were equally strong predictors of life satisfaction in collectivist cultures. The present findings have implications for future studies on cultural notions of well-being, the functional value of emotional experiences, and individual differences in life satisfaction profiles.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0032342033&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1037/0022-3514.74.2.482
DO - 10.1037/0022-3514.74.2.482
M3 - Article
VL - 74
SP - 482
EP - 493
JO - Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
JF - Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
SN - 0022-3514
IS - 2
ER -