Cross-cultural comparison of the association between personality traits and subjective well-being across India, Mozambique, Portugal, Sweden and United States

Objective Previous research established that personality is one of the main contributors to subjective well-being (SWB), particularly Neuroticism and Extraversion. Less is known about the role of culture on the relationship between Personality and Well-Being. Thus, the aim of this study is to test whether the contribution of the Big Five Personality Traits (B5PT) to SWB is similar or varying across five different countries and cultures. Method A cross-sectional associative study and a comparative structural equation modelling analysis was conducted on data collected from five samples of university students: the US ( N = 497), Sweden ( N = 551), Portugal (N = 497), Mozambique ( N = 544), and India ( N = 574). Configural equivalence was tested and observed across four samples, except in the Mozambican sample that was analysed separately. Results As expected, Neuroticism and Extraversion were the major contributors to SWB across samples, followed by the Conscientiousness, Agreeableness and Openness traits. Significant differences were observed across countries in the contribution of the mean-computed B5PT to SWB variables. These differences may be related with variations in the countries' long-term orientation and individualism, but also masculinity. Conclusion Results suggest that the relationship between B5PT and SWB is context-specific and future studies should test the moderation of individualism, long-term orientation and masculinity cultural dimensions.