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

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cris.lastimport.scopus2025-11-03T04:10:18Z
dc.abstract.enThis 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.
dc.affiliationInstytut Psychologii
dc.affiliationInstytut Psychologii
dc.contributor.authorŚmieja, Magdalena
dc.contributor.authorWalczak, Alicja
dc.contributor.authorCacek, Jakub
dc.contributor.authorGórski, Maciej R.
dc.contributor.authorBond, Michael Harris
dc.contributor.authorGjoneska, Biljana
dc.contributor.authorHussain, M. Azhar
dc.contributor.authorJoshanloo, Mohsen
dc.contributor.authorSzumowska, Ewa
dc.contributor.authorTeyssier, Julien
dc.contributor.authorWai Lan Yeung, Victoria
dc.contributor.authorHaas, Brian W.
dc.contributor.authorGuemaz, Farida
dc.contributor.authorBoussena, Mahmoud
dc.contributor.authorSánchez-Rodríguez, Ángel
dc.contributor.authorIter, Nuha
dc.contributor.authorVlasenko, Olha
dc.contributor.authorMiu-Chi Lun, Vivian
dc.contributor.authorMan Wai Li, Liman
dc.contributor.authorAmali Aminnuddin, Nur
dc.contributor.authorIşık, İdil
dc.contributor.authorNgom-Dieng, Laina
dc.contributor.authorFülöp, Márta
dc.contributor.authorIgbokwe, David
dc.contributor.authorAdamovic, Mladen
dc.contributor.authorGarðarsdóttir Ragna Benedikta
dc.contributor.authorSoboleva, Natalia
dc.contributor.authorGlückstad, Fumiko Kano
dc.contributor.authorPark, Joonha
dc.contributor.authorAkaliyski, Plamen
dc.contributor.authorAkello, Grace
dc.contributor.authorAl-Zoubi, Marwan
dc.contributor.authorAlmakaeva, Anna
dc.contributor.authorAnić, Petra
dc.contributor.authorAppoh, Lily
dc.contributor.authorBaltin, Arno
dc.contributor.authorDenoux, Patrick
dc.contributor.authorDomínguez Espinosa, Alejandra
dc.contributor.authorGamsakhurdia, Vladimer
dc.contributor.authorGarvanova, Magdalena
dc.contributor.authorGavreliuc, Alin
dc.contributor.authorIgou, Eric Raymond
dc.contributor.authorKascakova, Natalia
dc.contributor.authorKocimska-Bortnowska, Agata
dc.contributor.authorKronberger, Nicole
dc.contributor.authorLee, J. Hannah
dc.contributor.authorMalyonov, Alexander
dc.contributor.authorMalyonova, Arina
dc.contributor.authorMokadem, Fatma
dc.contributor.authorMosca, Oriana
dc.contributor.authorMurdock, Elke
dc.contributor.authorMyślińska-Szarek, Katarzyna
dc.contributor.authorNader, Martin
dc.contributor.authorOkvitawanli, Ayu
dc.contributor.authorOlechowski, Mateusz
dc.contributor.authorPalikot, Ewa
dc.contributor.authorPavlović, Zoran
dc.contributor.authorPoláčková Šolcová, Iva
dc.contributor.authorSamekin, Adil
dc.contributor.authorSelim, Heyla
dc.contributor.authorSirlopú, David
dc.contributor.authorSokolov, Boris
dc.contributor.authorSun, Chien-Ru
dc.contributor.authorTorres, Claudio
dc.contributor.authorThị Thanh Trà, Kiều
dc.contributor.authorTurjačanin, Vladimir
dc.contributor.authorvan Tilburg, Wijnand
dc.contributor.authorVauclair, Christin-Melanie
dc.contributor.authorWasiel, Arkadiusz
dc.contributor.authorXing, Cai
dc.contributor.authorYakhlef, Belkacem
dc.contributor.authorYang, Jae-Won
dc.contributor.authorYeung, June Chun
dc.contributor.authorZelenski, John
dc.contributor.authorKrys, Kuba
dc.date.access2025-09-12
dc.date.accessioned2025-09-12T08:57:58Z
dc.date.available2025-09-12T08:57:58Z
dc.date.created2025-06-14
dc.date.issued2025-09
dc.description.accesstimeat_publication
dc.description.physical1-19
dc.description.versionfinal_published
dc.description.volume108
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102232
dc.identifier.issn0147-1767
dc.identifier.urihttps://share.swps.edu.pl/handle/swps/1777
dc.identifier.weblinkhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147176725000951?via%3Dihub
dc.languageen
dc.pbn.affiliationpsychologia
dc.rightsCC-BY
dc.rights.questionYes_rights
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
dc.share.articleOTHER
dc.subject.enWell-being
dc.subject.enRelationship status
dc.subject.enSingles
dc.subject.enSchwartz values
dc.subject.enCulture
dc.swps.sciencecloudsend
dc.titleLove, culture, and well-being: How values moderate the link between relationship status and well-being across 57 countries
dc.title.journalInternational Journal of Intercultural Relations
dc.typeJournalArticle
dspace.entity.typeArticle