Obligations in Japan: A three‐year longitudinal study of midlife adults

Abstract Obligations embody a sense of responsibility toward others. Middle‐aged adults may particularly feel obligated to many close others, from their parents to children, for instance. Previous studies suggest mixed findings on whether obligations benefit well‐being and relationships. Accounting for the cultural context and different types of obligations can help explain the mixed findings. We examined obligations in 371 middle‐aged adults living in Japan, using two waves of data from the Midlife in Japan (MIDJA) study. Factor analyses suggest three factors underlying obligation: light and substantive obligations to close others and public obligations to the broader community. Controlling for baseline outcomes, we examined whether obligation predicted changes in psychological and relational well‐being over 3 years. Most associations between obligation and outcomes were non‐significant. However, light obligation predicted less strain from friends over time ( β = −0.21, p = 0.03), and substantive obligation predicted greater life satisfaction ( β = 0.20, p = 0.035). Public obligation did not significantly predict any well‐being or relational outcomes. Implications for research are discussed.