The Role of Cultural Heterogeneity in Strengthening the Link Between Family Relationships and Life Satisfaction in 50 Societies

Abstract We argue that the importance of family relationships for individual well-being varies across societies as a function of a society’s degree of cultural heterogeneity. To examine the role of family relationships, we analyzed the responses from 13,009 participants in 50 societies on their life satisfaction across societies varying in their levels of historical and contemporary cultural heterogeneity. Such heterogeneity creates differences in the frequency of interacting with unfamiliar groups, which leads families to become more central to their members’ satisfaction with life. Multi-level analyses showed that historical and contemporary cultural heterogeneity moderated the pattern such that greater historical or contemporary cultural heterogeneity of society promoted a stronger positive relation between family relationship satisfaction and individual life satisfaction. Our results also revealed that the moderating role of historical cultural heterogeneity was more reliable than that of contemporary cultural heterogeneity. These findings demonstrate the importance of societal demography in shaping people’s psychological processes in different historical periods, suggesting a universal, trans-historical cultural process.

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Publication Details

Journal
Journal of Happiness Studies
Published
2024-08-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-024-00768-1
Citations
4
Primary Topic
Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
2.57

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article

The Role of Cultural Heterogeneity in Strengthening the Link Between Family Relationships and Life Satisfaction in 50 Societies

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Journal of Happiness Studies
Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
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article

The Role of Cultural Heterogeneity in Strengthening the Link Between Family Relationships and Life Satisfaction in 50 Societies

Eric R. Igou, Cláudio Torres, Joonha Park, Carla Sofia Esteves, Azar Nadi, Lily Appoh, Colin A. Capaldi, Brian W. Haas, Ayu Okvitawanli, Vivian Miu‐Chi Lun, Liman Man Wai Li, Christin‐Melanie Vauclair, Michael Harris Bond, Arno Baltin, Douglas Arevalo, Fridanna Maricchiolo, Aleksandra Kosiarczyk, Espen Røysamb, Patrick Denoux, David O. Igbokwe, Martín Nader, Ragna B. Garðarsdóttir, Vladimer Lado Gamsakhurdia, Stanislava Stoyanova, Chien‐Ru Sun, Wijnand A. P. van Tilburg, Úrsula Serdarevich, Julien Teyssier, Heyla A. Selim, Iva Poláčková Šolcová, Yukiko Uchida, Olga Kostoula, Beate Schwarz, Pablo Eduardo Barrientos Marroquin, June Chun Yeung, Tamara Mohorić, Muhammad Rizwan, Oriana Mosca, Vivian L. Vignoles, Agata Kocimska‐Zych, Alin Gavreliuc, Magdalena Łużniak‐Piecha, Nur Fariza Mustaffa, Cai Xing, Natália Kaščáková, Lucie Klůzová Kráčmarová, David Sirlopú, Rūta Sargautytė, Anna Kwiatkowska, Xinhui Liu, Mladen Adamovic, Elke Murdock, J. Hannah Lee, Kuba Kryś, Maria Stogianni, Charity Sylvia Akotia, Vassilis Pavlopoulos, Vladyslav Romashov, Yvette van Osch, Zoran Pavlović, John M. Zelenski, Nicole Kronberger, İ̇dil Işık, Isabelle Albert, Alejandra del Carmen Domínguez Espinosa, Márta Fülöp, Diana Boer, Arina Malyonova
article en
4 citations

Abstract

Abstract We argue that the importance of family relationships for individual well-being varies across societies as a function of a society’s degree of cultural heterogeneity. To examine the role of family relationships, we analyzed the responses from 13,009 participants in 50 societies on their life satisfaction across societies varying in their levels of historical and contemporary cultural heterogeneity. Such heterogeneity creates differences in the frequency of interacting with unfamiliar groups, which leads families to become more central to their members’ satisfaction with life. Multi-level analyses showed that historical and contemporary cultural heterogeneity moderated the pattern such that greater historical or contemporary cultural heterogeneity of society promoted a stronger positive relation between family relationship satisfaction and individual life satisfaction. Our results also revealed that the moderating role of historical cultural heterogeneity was more reliable than that of contemporary cultural heterogeneity. These findings demonstrate the importance of societal demography in shaping people’s psychological processes in different historical periods, suggesting a universal, trans-historical cultural process.

Journal of Happiness StudiesVol. 25(6)
Tbilisi State University (GE), University of Essex (GB), Iscte – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (PT), Roma Tre University (IT), Johannes Kepler University of Linz (AT), Bahçeşehir University (TR), University of Ghana (GH), Hong Kong Polytechnic University (HK), Universidade de Brasília (BR), University of Rijeka (HR), University of Sussex (GB), Koblenz University of Applied Sciences (DE), University of Iceland (IS), University of Georgia (US), South-West University "Neofit Rilski" (BG), University of Cagliari (IT), Vilnius University (LT), University of Brawijaya (ID), Université Fédérale de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées (FR), King's College London (GB), University of Oslo (NO), University of Luxembourg (LU), Tallinn University (EE), Tilburg University (NL), National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (GR), Czech Academy of Sciences (CZ), Universidad Iberoamericana (MX), Kyoto University (JP), University of Limerick (IE), Universidade Católica Portuguesa (PT), Omsk State University (RU), Nord University (NO), King Saud University (SA), West University of Timişoara (RO), San Sebastián University (CL), National University of Villa María (AR), Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary (HU), Baze University (NG), Uniwersytet SWPS (PL), University of Belgrade (RS), International Islamic University Malaysia (MY), Education University of Hong Kong (HK), Indiana University Northwest (US), National University of the West (AR), King's College School (GB), Institute of Psychology (PL), Kyoto University of Education (JP), Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology (HU), Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Psychology (CZ), National University of Medical Sciences (PK), Universität Koblenz (DE), Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas (SV), Carleton University (CA), Palacký University Olomouc (CZ), Icesi University (CO), Renmin University of China (CN), ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences (CH), National Chengchi University (TW), Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (GT), Polish Academy of Sciences (PL)
European Commission, Grantová Agentura České Republiky, Hungarian Scientific Research Fund, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Narodowe Centrum Nauki, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
Openalex Percentile: Top 11%
Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
2.57
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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