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Introduction to a Culturally Sensitive Measure of Well-Being: Combining Life Satisfaction and Interdependent Happiness Across 49 Different Cultures

Author

Listed:
  • Kuba Krys

    (Polish Academy of Sciences)

  • Brian W. Haas

    (University of Georgia)

  • Eric Raymond Igou

    (University of Limerick)

  • Aleksandra Kosiarczyk

    (SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities)

  • Agata Kocimska-Bortnowska

    (SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities)

  • Anna Kwiatkowska

    (Polish Academy of Sciences)

  • Vivian Miu-Chi Lun

    (Lingnan University)

  • Fridanna Maricchiolo

    (University of Roma Tre)

  • Joonha Park

    (NUCB Business School)

  • Iva Poláčková Šolcová

    (Czech Academy of Sciences)

  • David Sirlopú

    (Universidad San Sebastián)

  • Yukiko Uchida

    (Kyoto University
    Stanford University)

  • Christin-Melanie Vauclair

    (Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), CIS-IUL)

  • Vivian L. Vignoles

    (University of Sussex)

  • John M. Zelenski

    (Carleton University)

  • Mladen Adamovic

    (King’s College)

  • Charity S. Akotia

    (University of Ghana)

  • Isabelle Albert

    (University of Luxembourg)

  • Lily Appoh

    (Nord University)

  • D. M. Arévalo Mira

    (HULAB)

  • Arno Baltin

    (Tallinn University)

  • Patrick Denoux

    (Université Toulouse II)

  • Alejandra Domínguez-Espinosa

    (Iberoamerican University)

  • Carla Sofia Esteves

    (Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Palma de Cima)

  • Vladimer Gamsakhurdia

    (Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University)

  • Márta Fülöp

    (Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church
    Eötvös Loránd Research Network)

  • Ragna B. Garðarsdóttir

    (University of Iceland)

  • Alin Gavreliuc

    (West University of Timisoara)

  • Diana Boer

    (University of Koblenz)

  • David O. Igbokwe

    (Baze University Abuja)

  • İdil Işık

    (Istanbul Bilgi University)

  • Natalia Kascakova

    (Palacky University
    Psychiatric Clinic Pro Mente Sana)

  • Lucie Klůzová Kráčmarová

    (Czech Academy of Sciences
    Palacky University)

  • Natasza Kosakowska-Berezecka

    (Gdansk University)

  • Olga Kostoula

    (Johannes Kepler University Linz)

  • Nicole Kronberger

    (Johannes Kepler University Linz)

  • J. Hannah Lee

    (Indiana University Northwest)

  • Xinhui Liu

    (Renmin University of China)

  • Magdalena Łużniak-Piecha

    (SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities)

  • Arina Malyonova

    (Dostoevsky Omsk State University)

  • Pablo Eduardo Barrientos

    (Universidad del Valle de Guatemala)

  • Tamara Mohorić

    (University of Rijeka)

  • Oriana Mosca

    (University of Cagliari)

  • Elke Murdock

    (University of Luxembourg)

  • Nur Fariza Mustaffa

    (International Islamic University Malaysia)

  • Martin Nader

    (Universidad ICESI)

  • Azar Nadi

    (Polish Academy of Sciences)

  • Ayu Okvitawanli

    (Universitas Brawijaya)

  • Yvette Osch

    (Tilburg University)

  • Vassilis Pavlopoulos

    (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens)

  • Zoran Pavlović

    (University of Belgrade)

  • Muhammad Rizwan

    (University of Haripur)

  • Vladyslav Romashov

    (Polish Academy of Sciences)

  • Espen Røysamb

    (University of Oslo)

  • Ruta Sargautyte

    (Vilnius University)

  • Beate Schwarz

    (Zurich University of Applied Sciences)

  • Heyla A. Selim

    (King Saud University)

  • Ursula Serdarevich

    (Universidad Nacional de La Matanza)

  • Maria Stogianni

    (Tilburg University)

  • Chien-Ru Sun

    (National Chengchi University)

  • Julien Teyssier

    (Université Toulouse II)

  • Wijnand A. P. Tilburg

    (University of Essex)

  • Claudio Torres

    (University of Brasilia)

  • Cai Xing

    (Renmin University of China)

  • Michael Harris Bond

    (Hong Kong Polytechnic University)

Abstract

How can one conclude that well-being is higher in country A than country B, when well-being is being measured according to the way people in country A think about well-being? We address this issue by proposing a new culturally sensitive method to comparing societal levels of well-being. We support our reasoning with data on life satisfaction and interdependent happiness focusing on individual and family, collected mostly from students, across forty-nine countries. We demonstrate that the relative idealization of the two types of well-being varies across cultural contexts and are associated with culturally different models of selfhood. Furthermore, we show that rankings of societal well-being based on life satisfaction tend to underestimate the contribution from interdependent happiness. We introduce a new culturally sensitive method for calculating societal well-being, and examine its construct validity by testing for associations with the experience of emotions and with individualism-collectivism. This new culturally sensitive approach represents a slight, yet important improvement in measuring well-being.

Suggested Citation

  • Kuba Krys & Brian W. Haas & Eric Raymond Igou & Aleksandra Kosiarczyk & Agata Kocimska-Bortnowska & Anna Kwiatkowska & Vivian Miu-Chi Lun & Fridanna Maricchiolo & Joonha Park & Iva Poláčková Šolcová &, 2023. "Introduction to a Culturally Sensitive Measure of Well-Being: Combining Life Satisfaction and Interdependent Happiness Across 49 Different Cultures," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 607-627, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:24:y:2023:i:2:d:10.1007_s10902-022-00588-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-022-00588-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ed Diener & Christie Napa-Scollon & Shigehiro Oishi & Vivian Dzokoto & Eunkook Suh, 2000. "Positivity and the Construction of Life Satisfaction Judgments: Global Happiness is not the Sum of its Parts," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 1(2), pages 159-176, June.
    2. Joseph Henrich & Steve J. Heine & Ara Norenzayan, 2010. "The Weirdest People in the World?," RatSWD Working Papers 139, German Data Forum (RatSWD).
    3. Mohsen Joshanloo & Veljko Jovanović & Tim Taylor, 2019. "A multidimensional understanding of prosperity and well-being at country level: Data-driven explorations," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(10), pages 1-31, October.
    4. Jesus Alfonso D. Datu & Ronnel B. King & Jana Patricia M. Valdez, 2016. "The Benefits of Socially-Oriented Happiness: Validation of the Interdependent Happiness Scale in the Philippines," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 9(3), pages 631-649, September.
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