More Than Oneself: Cultural Values as Predictors of Happiness

Abstract

The present study analyzed whether cultural values, such as individualism, foster lesser or greater degrees of happiness and to what degree the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita moderated such interaction. Data were compared across 82 nations according to their World Happiness Report scores, GDP per capita, and Hofstede dimensional scores. It was hypothesized (1) that high levels of national individualism would be positively correlated to happiness at a national level, (2) that other cultural dimensions would be relevant in predicting national happiness, (3) and that the association between happiness and cultural factors would be moderated by GDP per capita. Results indicated that individualism is correlated with higher happiness. Additional quantitative analyses showed that happiness was predicted by individualism, indulgence, long- term orientation, and power distance. Implications of these findings and future research directions are outlined.