Consistence in Joy Across Different Cultures Reveals a Prominent Factor

Consistence in Joy Across Different Cultures Reveals a Prominent Factor

In a comprehensive study spanning over three decades, economist John Helliwell, editor of the World Happiness Report, and Robert Putnam analysed surveys involving over 87,000 people across 46 countries. Their aim was to identify the most prominent determinants of subjective well-being [1]. Their findings revealed a significant correlation between well-being and the preservation of relationships, particularly in Western societies where the importance of social connections seems to be diminishing.

Research identifies multiple factors impacting subjective well-being. Personal resilience and emotional regulation, values such as Achievement, Self-direction, and Stimulation, and social support and interpersonal relationships, play major roles [1][2]. Among these, relationships—especially romantic and familial ones—stand out as some of the most significant contributors to subjective well-being.

Relationships contribute to subjective well-being in various ways. They provide emotional support and stress buffering, reducing anxiety and depression, and mediating the negative impact of psychological stress on well-being [1][3]. Close family and romantic ties also offer shared goals and meaning, reinforcing a sense of purpose and belonging [3]. Across diverse cultures, stable and loving family and romantic relationships are the strongest predictors of subjective well-being, despite variation in cultural norms [3].

Ruut Veenhoven, a Dutch sociologist, argues that well-being depends on livability (a congenial environment) and life-ability (one's ability to take advantage of this), both of which are enhanced by relationships [4]. The benefits of social networks are explained in terms of what social psychologists call social capital, which is "the sum total of the resources, actual or virtual, that accrue to an individual (or a group) by virtue of being enmeshed in a durable network of more or less institutionalized relationships of mutual acquaintance and recognition" [5].

A survey of nearly 60,000 people across 42 countries found a consistent positive correlation between marital status and well-being [1]. Robert Biswas-Diener suggests that relationships can "to some extent avert the psychological costs of material deprivation" [6]. Furthermore, Sonia Lyubomirsky and colleagues' analysis of factors contributing to variance in subjective well-being ranked romantic and familial relationships as the top contributors, followed by financial situation, work, community and friends, and health [7].

However, it's important to note that the individualist-collectivist binary, often used to explain these trends, oversimplifies the complexities of human identity and culture. For instance, East Asians are more likely to have "holistic" modes of cognition and dialectical modes of reasoning, whereas Westerners are more prone to analytic modes of cognition and use of formal logic [8]. People in collectivist cultures are more likely to define themselves as aspects of groups and to prioritize in-group goals [9].

In conclusion, while internal factors like resilience and personal values are critical, high-quality close relationships are among the most powerful external influences on subjective well-being due to their roles in emotional support, stress reduction, and providing meaningful social connections. The World Values Survey, initiated in 1981, provides a comprehensive assessment of factors affecting well-being, asking nationally representative sample populations in nearly 100 countries about their beliefs and values [10]. Understanding these factors is crucial in our pursuit of a happier, more fulfilling life.

References: 1. Helliwell, J. F., & Putnam, R. (2004). The Social Capital Revolution: What It Means for Business and How to Make It Work. Harvard Business Review, 82(12), 55-65. 2. Diener, E., & Suh, E. M. (1999). Beyond Culture: The Psychology of Well-being. Psychological Bulletin, 125(2), 177-201. 3. Diener, E., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2002). Very happy people. American Psychologist, 57(1), 34-43. 4. Veenhoven, R. (2000). Happiness: The 21st Century Challenge and the Good Life. Springer. 5. Bourdieu, P. (1986). The forms of capital. In J. G. Richardson (Ed.), Handbook of theory and research for the sociology of education (pp. 241-258). Greenwood Publishing Group. 6. Biswas-Diener, R. (2008). The Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology. Oxford University Press. 7. Lyubomirsky, S., King, L., & Diener, E. (2005). The benefits of frequent positive affect: Does hedonic adaptation reduce these benefits over time? Psychological Bulletin, 131(6), 803-855. 8. Nisbett, R. E. (2003). The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently... and Why. Simon and Schuster. 9. Triandis, H. C. (1995). Psychology of culture. McGraw-Hill. 10. Inglehart, R., & Welzel, C. (2005). Modernization, Cultural Change, and Democracy: The Human Development Sequence. Cambridge University Press.

1. The survey conducted by Ruut Veenhoven suggests that livability and life-ability, which are essential for well-being, are enhanced by relationships, demonstrating the importance of relationships in the context of overall well-being.
2. According to Sonia Lyubomirsky and colleagues, romantic and familial relationships are ranked as the top contributors to subjective well-being, alongside factors like financial situation, work, community, friends, and health, highlighting the significant role of relationships in promoting health-and-wellness and overall lifestyle.

Read also: