Control and Well-being Across Cultures: The Moderation of Individualism on the Relationship between Primary & Secondary Control and Affective & Cognitive SWB

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xingyu LIU ◽  
René Mõttus
Keyword(s):  
Perceived Control ◽  
Statistical Power ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Primary Control ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Secondary Control ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Country Level ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Collectivist Cultures

Perceived control is essential to our subjective well-being (SWB). However, people from individualist and collectivist cultures may prefer different types of perceived control. We examined cultural variations in agency-oriented primary control and adjustment-oriented secondary control, their relationship to affective and cognitive SWB, and the moderation of Individualism of this relationship. We used an IPIP-based personality questionnaire that sampled 40, 000 participants from over across 42 countries. Using multilevel analyses, we found that the correlations between the two types of perceived control and the two aspects of SWB were different at the country level versus the individual level: primary control was more strongly related to cognitive SWB than affective SWB at the individual level, but the pattern was flipped at the country level. Contrary to previous results, we found stronger associations between individualism and secondary control and between collectivism and primary control; and primary control better predicted general SWB in collectivist cultures while secondary control better predicted general SWB in individualist cultures. We explored methodological (e.g., high influence items), philosophical (e.g., Hobbesian social contract), and sociopolitical (e.g., globalization) explanations of our results. Given the high generalizability and the high statistical power of our results that contradict previous findings, our study potentially calls for more nuanced and more generalizable revision of the current understanding of cultural differences in perceived control and its relation to SWB.

scholarly journals WHETHER INDIVIDUALISM MAKES PEOPLE FROM THE “WEST” HAPPIER AND COLLECTIVISM MAKES PEOPLE FROM THE “EAST” MORE SATISFIED IN LIFE: AN INDIVIDUAL-LEVEL ANALYSIS

2019 ◽  
Vol 128 (6B) ◽  
pp. 57
Author(s):  
Nguyễn Hữu An ◽  
Lê Duy Mai Phương
Keyword(s):  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cultural Dimension ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
The West ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Collectivistic Cultures ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Level Of Analysis

Determinants of the variation of happiness have long been discussed in social sciences. Recent studies have focused on investigating cultural factors contributing to the level of individual happiness, in which the cultural dimension of individualism (IND) and collectivism (COL) has been drawing the attention of a large number of scholars. At the cultural level of analysis, happiness is associated with personal achievements as well as personal egoism in individualistic cultures, while it is related to interpersonal relationships in collectivistic cultures. Empirical research yields unconventional results at the individual level of analysis, that is, individuals in collectivistic cultures favor IND to be happy, in contrast, people in individualistic cultures emphasize COL be satisfied in life. Using data from the fifth wave of the World Values Survey (WVS), this study takes the cultural dimension of IND and COL at the individual level of analysis to detect its effects on happiness (conceptualized as subjective well-being – SWB) in the comparison between the two cultures. Multiple linear regression models reveal results that individuals from the “West” experience greater happiness when they expose themselves less individualist, while, individuals from the “East” feel more satisfied and happier in their life when they emphasize more on IND or being more autonomous.

scholarly journals A Bifactor Model of Subjective Well-Being at Personal, Community, and Country Levels: A Case With Three Latin-American Countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier Torres-Vallejos ◽  
Joel Juarros-Basterretxea ◽  
Juan Carlos Oyanedel ◽  
Masatoshi Sato
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Bifactor Model ◽  
General Factor ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Specific Level ◽  
Single Measure ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Latin American Countries

Improving citizens' subjective well-being (SWB) has become an increasingly visible policy goal across industrialized countries. Although an increasing number of studies have investigated SWB at the individual level, little is known about subjective evaluation at social levels, such as the community and national levels. While the relationships between these levels have been analyzed in previous research, these assessments, which are part of the same unique construct of SWB, are under-investigated. The purpose of this study was to examine the dimensionality and reliability of a single measure of SWB, which contained individual, community, and national levels across three Latin-American countries (Argentina, Chile, and Venezuela), using a bifactor model analysis. Findings showed that the bifactor model exhibited a good fit to the data for the three countries. However, invariance testing between countries was not fully supported because of each item's specific contribution to both specific and general constructs. The analyses of each country showed that the SWB construct was in a gray area between unidimensionality and multidimensionality; some factors contributed more to the general factor and others to the specific level, depending on the country. These findings call for integrating more distant levels (community and country levels) into the understanding of SWB at the individual level, as they contribute not only to an overall construct, but they make unique contributions to SWB, which must be considered in public policy making.

scholarly journals Perceived control, academic performance and well-being of Ghanaian college students with disability

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Frances E. Owusu-Ansah ◽  
Peter Agyei-Baffour ◽  
Anthony Edusei
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Sample Size ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Perceived Control ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Primary Control ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Persons With Disabilities ◽  
Tertiary Institutions ◽  
The Impact

Background: Empirical evidence abounds showing the impact of perceived control on subjective well-being in several spheres of functioning, including academic performance. At tertiary institutions, such as the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana, little is known about the needs of students with disabilities, as very few persons with disabilities attend institutions of higher learning.Objectives: This study examined the relationship between perceptions of control and the academic and subjective well-being of students with disabilities.Method: A total of 69 students with disabilities participated in this cross-sectional descriptive study. Using trusted control and subjective well-being scales, data were subject to descriptive analyses.Results: Consistent with previous works, perceived control increased with increased subjective well-being, moderated by gender. In addition, forms of secondary control appeared to aid primary control in the tenacious pursuit of goals. However, neither perceived control nor self-esteem was predictive of academic performance.Conclusion: Limitations of sample size notwithstanding, the findings of the study can be considered provocative. Implications for clinical utility in facilitating context-specific interventions for this marginalised group are discussed. Replication with a larger sample size in other tertiary institutions is suggested for future work.

Transnational Parenthood and Migrant Subjective Well-Being in Italy

2022 ◽  
pp. 019791832110685
Author(s):  
Francesca Tosi ◽  
Roberto Impicciatore
Keyword(s):  
Family Relations ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Family Status ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Migrant Parents

Transnational parents are migrant mothers and fathers who have at least one child left behind in the home country. Despite their non-negligible prevalence in many destination countries, scarcity of data on the topic has caused a lack of attention to this phenomenon in both policy and scholarship. In particular, little is known about how the interplay between migration and family relations at a distance affects the individual well-being of both migrant parents and their left-behind children, especially in a European context. This article evaluates the subjective well-being of migrant couples currently residing in Italy who have children left behind, compared with childless migrants and with migrant parents living with their children in Italy. Multivariate logistic regression applied to individual-level data from Istat's Survey on Social condition and integration of foreign citizens, 2011–2012, shows that transnational parents experienced lower levels of self-rated health compared with migrants with different family statuses and that the well-being loss associated with transnational parenthood is strongly gendered. Controlling for individual characteristics, socio-economic conditions, the presence of minor children, and migration background, our analysis demonstrates that men's subjective wellbeing did not vary based on their family status while transnational mothers experienced significantly lower well-being compared with childless migrant women. Our research suggests the need for adopting a transnational approach to migration starting from data gathering, for instance through the design and implementation of multi-sited and retrospective surveys.

Time and well-being, an institutional, comparative perspective: Is it time to explore the idea of a time policy?

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 275-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lihi Lahat ◽  
Itai Sened
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Welfare Regime ◽  
Welfare Regimes ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Institutional Perspective ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The Third ◽  
Country Level ◽  
The Relationship

This article explores the relationship between time and well-being as a social policy question. Although the research on time and well-being is extensive, few have dealt with them together from a comparative institutional perspective. Based on data from the third European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS) of 2012, regarding 34 mostly European countries, in different welfare regimes, we explore two issues: (1) What are the effects of welfare regimes on the uses of time and subjective well-being? and (2) What are the effects of different uses of time on subjective well-being? We find that the institutional structure – the welfare regime – affects the way people use their time. Furthermore, the findings documented that uses of time have a direct effect on well-being when controlling for individual level as well as country-level variables. These findings may have important implications for policymaking.

scholarly journals The Impact of Income Inequality on Subjective Environmental Pollution: Individual Evidence from China

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (15) ◽  
pp. 8090
Author(s):  
Baoxi Li ◽  
De Xiao
Keyword(s):  
Income Inequality ◽  
Environmental Pollution ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Shape Effect ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Environmental Attitude ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact

Numerous studies have investigated the relationship between income inequality and objective environmental pollution, but few focus on the nexus between income inequality and subjective environmental pollution (SEP). Using micro data from the Chinese General Society Survey (CGSS) in 2013 and official statistical data at the provincial level, this paper tests the impact of individual-level income inequality on subjective environmental pollution in China. The results show that individual-level income inequality has an inverted U-shape relationship with subjective environmental pollution, which indicates that increasing the income inequality at the individual level will first rise and then reduce their perceived subjective environmental pollution after reaching the peak. For about 84% of respondents, their subjective environmental pollution decreases with the increase of individual-level income inequality. Furthermore, the heterogeneity analyses show that the income inequality of urban residents and of the locals have an inverted U-shape effect on SEP, and the SEP of females and of individuals with positive environmental attitude are more sensitive to the effect of income inequality. Additionally, we find that subjective well-being plays a mediating role in the relation between income inequality and SEP. Individual income inequality decreases their self-reported well-being, and an increase in well-being has a negative effect on their subjectively perceived environmental quality. We also find non-television media exposures, such as newspaper, magazine, broadcasting, Internet, and mobile custom messages, will amplify the effect of individual-level income inequality on subjective environmental pollution.

scholarly journals Subjective Wellbeing and Longevity: A Co-Twin Control Study

2011 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 249-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael E. Sadler ◽  
Christopher J. Miller ◽  
Kaare Christensen ◽  
Matt McGue
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Shared Environment ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Life Outcomes ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Genes And Environment ◽  
Health Initiatives ◽  
The Individual ◽  
New Research

Mental health is increasingly defined not only by the absence of illness but by the presence of subjective well-being (SWB). Previous cohort studies have consistently shown that indicators of SWB predict favorable life outcomes, including better mental and somatic health, and longevity. The favorable effects associated with SWB have prompted new research aimed at raising happiness and wellbeing through individual interventions and public health initiatives. Standard observational studies of individual-level associations, however, are subject to potential confounding of exposure and outcome by shared genes and environment. The present study explored the association between SWB and increased longevity, using twin pair analyses to determine whether the association is consistent with causality or is due to genetic or environmental confounding. The study sample of 3,966 twins aged 70 or older, followed for a median time period of 9 years, was drawn from the population-based Longitudinal Study of Aging Danish Twins (LSADT). The association between SWB, operationalized as affect and life satisfaction, and all-cause mortality risk was examined using between-individual and within-pair survival analyses. As expected, at the individual level, SWB predicted increased longevity. Exposure effects were also present in unadjusted and adjusted within-pair analyses of 400 dizygotic (DZ) pairs and 274 monozygotic (MZ) pairs, indicating that SWB is associated with increased longevity independent of familial factors of genes and shared environment.

scholarly journals Does Education Make People Happy? Spotlighting the Overlooked Societal Condition

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satoshi Araki
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Educational Expansion ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Multilevel Regression ◽  
Gini Coefficients ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Societal Level

AbstractThe association between education and subjective well-being has long been investigated by social scientists. However, prior studies have paid inadequate attention to the influence of societal-level educational expansion and skills diffusion. In this article, multilevel regression analyses, using internationally comparable data for over 48,000 individuals in 24 countries, detect the overall positive linkage between educational attainment and life satisfaction. Nevertheless, this relationship is undermined due to the larger degree of skills diffusion at the societal level, and no longer confirmed once labor market outcomes are accounted for. Meanwhile, the extent of skills diffusion per se is positively and substantially associated with people’s subjective well-being even after adjusting for key individual-level and country-level predictors, whereas other societal conditions including GDP, Gini coefficients, safety, civic engagement, and educational expansion do not indicate significant links with life satisfaction in the current analysis. Given that recent research suggests skills diffusion promotes the formation of meritocratic social systems, one may argue it is the process of fairer rewards allocation underpinned by skills diffusion, rather than the status quo of macroeconomy, economic inequality, social stability, and educational opportunities as such, that matters more to people’s subjective well-being.

Economics of Subjective Well-Being

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anke C Plagnol ◽  
Lucia Macchia
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Gross Domestic Product ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Domestic Product ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Easterlin Paradox ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Seminal Article ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Over Time

In 1974 economist Richard A. Easterlin asked in his seminal article “Does economic growth improve the human lot?” His answer to this question was a resounding no. The paper described what was later to be known as the Easterlin paradox, which is the observation that at one point in time rich nations are on average happier than poor nations, but over time there is no relationship between happiness and gross domestic product (GDP). The Easterlin paradox can also be found at the individual level. Easterlin’s paper is often described as starting the field of the economics of subjective well-being. The Easterlin paradox has been the topic of many published articles, with numerous studies supporting the original findings and some refuting them. This chapter describes the Easterlin paradox and recent evidence confirming or rejecting its existence. Other developments in the economics of subjective well-being are also discussed.

scholarly journals Growing Household Credit Load Through the Prism of Social Perception, Credit, and Political Attitudes of Russians

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 19-32
Author(s):  
O. Novikov ◽  
N. Kozlov
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
The State ◽  
Political Activity ◽  
Political Protest ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Household Credit ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Restrictive Measures ◽  
Economic Well Being

The year 2020 demonstrates another surge of civil non-conventional activism in the world due to the epidemiological situation and related government restrictive measures. in Russia, at the background of the “Corona-crisis” and falling real incomes, retail lending to households continues to proliferate, along with an increase in their overdue debt. The deteriorating economic well-being of Russians raises questions about the possibility of an increase in political protest behaviour of citizens and how much their readiness for it is affected by the deteriorating financial situation due to difficulties in paying off their loan obligations. The authors used the methods of cybermetric analysis and mass survey, examines the perception of the credit problem by Russians, their assessment of its causes and “culprits” (the state, banks and borrowers themselves). The paper also notes some trends of mutual conditionality at the individual level of credit attitudes of Russians, their financial prosperity and readiness to participate in various forms of pro-government and opposition political activity. The authors conclude that the most common conservative model of credit behaviour among Russians contributes to the latent deterioration of the subjective well-being of borrowers that not always leading to a decrease in credit payments. It, in turn, leads to a desire to share responsibility for these difficulties with creditors and the state and, probably, increases the readiness for protest activism.

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