Document Detail


What constitutes a good life? Cultural differences in the role of positive and negative affect in subjective well-being.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  19558439     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
East Asians and Asian Americans report lower levels of subjective well-being than Europeans and European Americans. Three studies found support for the hypothesis that such differences may be due to the psychological meanings Eastern and Western cultures attach to positive and negative affect. Study 1 demonstrated that the desire to repeat a recent vacation was significantly predicted by recalled positive affect-but not recalled negative affect-for European Americans, whereas Asian Americans considered both positive and negative affect. Study 2 replicated this effect in judging satisfaction with a personal friendship. Study 3 linked changes in European Americans' life satisfaction to everyday positive events caused by the self (vs. others) and changes in Japanese life satisfaction to everyday negative events caused by others (vs. the self). Positive affect appears particularly meaningful for European Americans and negative affect for Asian Americans and Japanese when judging a satisfying vacation, friendship, or life.
Authors:
Derrick Wirtz; Chi-yue Chiu; Ed Diener; Shigehiro Oishi
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural     Date:  2009-05-19
Journal Detail:
Title:  Journal of personality     Volume:  77     ISSN:  1467-6494     ISO Abbreviation:  J Pers     Publication Date:  2009 Aug 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2009-07-14     Completed Date:  2009-10-02     Revised Date:  2010-09-27    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  2985194R     Medline TA:  J Pers     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  1167-96     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858-4353, USA. wirtzd@ecu.edu
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adult
Affect*
Asian Continental Ancestry Group / psychology*
Cross-Cultural Comparison
Cultural Characteristics
European Continental Ancestry Group / psychology*
Female
Happiness
Humans
Internal-External Control*
Male
Middle Aged
Personal Satisfaction*
Quality of Life / psychology
Questionnaires
Social Perception
Social Values / ethnology*
Grant Support
ID/Acronym/Agency:
R01 MH060849-01A1/MH/NIMH NIH HHS; R01-MH16-849-01/MH/NIMH NIH HHS
Comments/Corrections

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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