Love, culture, and well-being: How values moderate the link between relationship status and well-being across 57 countries

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F68081740%3A_____%2F25%3A00637035" target="_blank" >RIV/68081740:_____/25:00637035 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/61989592:15260/25:73634599

Result on the web

<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147176725000951" target="_blank" >https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147176725000951</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102232" target="_blank" >10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102232</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Love, culture, and well-being: How values moderate the link between relationship status and well-being across 57 countries

Original language description

This study examines the interplay between relationship status, well-being, and values across 57 countries. We hypothesized that individuals in romantic relationships would report higher well-being (measured as happiness, harmony, and meaning in life) compared to singles. We anticipated that in cultures prioritizing relationships, the benefits of being coupled would be amplified, while in societies emphasizing autonomy, the well-being gap would diminish. Specifically, we posited that values prevalent in WEIRD societies (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic)–such as self-direction and achievement–would positively moderate the association between relationship status and well-being, whereas values characteristic of non-WEIRD societies–such as tradition and conformity–would have a negative moderating effect. Our findings support that coupled individuals generally report higher well-being, however, the moderating effects of cultural values were more complex than expected. Cultural classifications of WEIRD and non-WEIRD did not consistently explain the well-being gap. Interestingly, in cultures emphasizing conformity, single and coupled individuals both reported greater meaning, leading to an overall decrease in the well-being gap. Conversely, higher self-direction values were associated with a wider well-being gap, with singles experiencing decreased happiness and meaning. These findings suggest that values such as conformity and self-direction exert domain-specific effects on well-being, influenced by broader social context and individual perceptions. Our research highlights the necessity of integrating cultural and individual factors in well-being research to achieve a more nuanced understanding of the quality of life for singles and those in relationships.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

50101 - Psychology (including human - machine relations)

Project

Result was created during the realization of more than one project. More information in the Projects tab.

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

International Journal of Intercultural Relations

ISSN

0147-1767

e-ISSN

1873-7552

Volume of the periodical

108

Issue of the periodical within the volume

září

Country of publishing house

GB - UNITED KINGDOM

Number of pages

19

Pages from-to

102232

UT code for WoS article

001534978600001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-105009127734