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The story of fitting in : cultural fit and subjective well-being Bahng, Jungwun Miranda

Abstract

The present study explored the relationship between cultural fit and subjective well-being. Using data from wave 7 of the World Values Survey, which sampled from 94,278 residents in 64 nations, we examined the extent to which cultural fit, or the fit between an individual’s cultural values and their country’s averaged cultural values, predicts their composite well-being using multilevel modelling. Results showed a significant effect of individual cultural fit predicting composite well-being within countries. Moderation analyses were conducted using national-level tightness, individualism, relational mobility, and cultural heterogeneity. The national-level tightness of a country was the only moderator that consistently exhibited a positive effect on the relationship between cultural fit and subjective well-being, highlighting the importance of considering cultural context when investigating cultural fit and well-being. Exploratory analyses were also conducted. We conclude with a discussion of the relevance and limitations of our findings.

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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International