Societal emotional environments and cross-cultural differences in life satisfaction: a forty-nine country study

Kuba Krys; June Chun Yeung; Colin A. Capaldi; Vivian Miu Chi Lun; Claudio Torres; Wijnand A.P. van Tilburg; Michael Harris Bond; John M. Zelenski; Brian W. Haas; Joonha Park; Fridanna Maricchiolo; Christin Melanie Vauclair; Aleksandra Kosiarczyk; Agata Kocimska-Zych; Anna Kwiatkowska; Mladen Adamovic; Vassilis Pavlopoulos; Márta Fülöp; David Sirlopu; Ayu Okvitawanli; Diana Boer; Julien Teyssier; Arina Malyonova; Alin Gavreliuc; Yukiko Uchida; Ursula Serdarevich; Charity Akotia; Lily Appoh; Arévalo Mira, D.M; Arno Baltin; Patrick Denoux; Alejandra Dominguez-Espinosa; Carla Sofia Esteves; Vladimer Gamsakhurdia; Ragna B. Garðarsdóttir; David O. Igbokwe; Eric R. Igou; İdil Işık; Natalia Kascakova; Lucie Klůzová Kračmárová; Nicole Kronberger; J. Hannah Lee; Xinhui Liu; Pablo Eduardo Barrientos; Tamara Mohorić; Nur Fariza Mustaffa; Oriana Mosca; Martin Nader; Azar Nadi; Yvette van Osch; Zoran Pavlović; Iva Poláčková Šolcová; Muhammad Rizwan; Vladyslav Romashov; Espen Røysamb; Ruta Sargautyte; Beate Schwarz; Lenka Selecká; Heyla A. Selim; Maria Stogianni; Chien Ru Sun; Cai Xing; Vivian L. Vignoles

doi:10.1080/17439760.2020.1858332

Societal emotional environments and cross-cultural differences in life satisfaction: a forty-nine country study

Kuba Krys^*, June Chun Yeung, Colin A. Capaldi, Vivian Miu Chi Lun, Claudio Torres, Wijnand A.P. van Tilburg, Michael Harris Bond, John M. Zelenski, Brian W. Haas, Joonha Park, Fridanna Maricchiolo, Christin Melanie Vauclair, Aleksandra Kosiarczyk, Agata Kocimska-Zych, Anna Kwiatkowska, Mladen Adamovic, Vassilis Pavlopoulos, Márta Fülöp, David Sirlopu, Ayu OkvitawanliDiana Boer, Julien Teyssier, Arina Malyonova, Alin Gavreliuc, Yukiko Uchida, Ursula Serdarevich, Charity Akotia, Lily Appoh, Arévalo Mira, D.M, Arno Baltin, Patrick Denoux, Alejandra Dominguez-Espinosa, Carla Sofia Esteves, Vladimer Gamsakhurdia, Ragna B. Garðarsdóttir, David O. Igbokwe, Eric R. Igou, İdil Işık, Natalia Kascakova, Lucie Klůzová Kračmárová, Nicole Kronberger, J. Hannah Lee, Xinhui Liu, Pablo Eduardo Barrientos, Tamara Mohorić, Nur Fariza Mustaffa, Oriana Mosca, Martin Nader, Azar Nadi, Yvette van Osch, Zoran Pavlović, Iva Poláčková Šolcová, Muhammad Rizwan, Vladyslav Romashov, Espen Røysamb, Ruta Sargautyte, Beate Schwarz, Lenka Selecká, Heyla A. Selim, Maria Stogianni, Chien Ru Sun, Cai Xing, Vivian L. Vignoles

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

In this paper, we introduce the concept of ‘societal emotional environment’: the emotional climate of a society (operationalized as the degree to which positive and negative emotions are expressed in a society). Using data collected from 12,888 participants across 49 countries, we show how societal emotional environments vary across countries and cultural clusters, and we consider the potential importance of these differences for well-being. Multilevel analyses supported a ‘double-edged sword’ model of negative emotion expression, where expression of negative emotions predicted higher life satisfaction for the expresser but lower life satisfaction for society. In contrast, partial support was found for higher societal life satisfaction in positive societal emotional environments. Our study highlights the potential utility and importance of distinguishing between positive and negative emotion expression, and adopting both individual and societal perspectives in well-being research. Individual pathways to happiness may not necessarily promote the happiness of others.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	117-130
Number of pages	14
Journal	Journal of Positive Psychology
Volume	17
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2020.1858332
Publication status	Published - 2 Jan 2022

Keywords

Latin America
Societal emotional environment
Culture
Emotion expression
Emotion regulation
Life satisfaction
Societal well-being

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1080/17439760.2020.1858332Licence: CC BY

37255748Final published version, 1.19 MBLicence: CC BY

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.14/34180Licence: CC BY

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Krys, K., Yeung, J. C., Capaldi, C. A., Lun, V. M. C., Torres, C., van Tilburg, W. A. P., Bond, M. H., Zelenski, J. M., Haas, B. W., Park, J., Maricchiolo, F., Vauclair, C. M., Kosiarczyk, A., Kocimska-Zych, A., Kwiatkowska, A., Adamovic, M., Pavlopoulos, V., Fülöp, M., Sirlopu, D., ... Vignoles, V. L. (2022). Societal emotional environments and cross-cultural differences in life satisfaction: a forty-nine country study. Journal of Positive Psychology, 17(1), 117-130. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2020.1858332

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title = "Societal emotional environments and cross-cultural differences in life satisfaction: a forty-nine country study",

abstract = "In this paper, we introduce the concept of {\textquoteleft}societal emotional environment{\textquoteright}: the emotional climate of a society (operationalized as the degree to which positive and negative emotions are expressed in a society). Using data collected from 12,888 participants across 49 countries, we show how societal emotional environments vary across countries and cultural clusters, and we consider the potential importance of these differences for well-being. Multilevel analyses supported a {\textquoteleft}double-edged sword{\textquoteright} model of negative emotion expression, where expression of negative emotions predicted higher life satisfaction for the expresser but lower life satisfaction for society. In contrast, partial support was found for higher societal life satisfaction in positive societal emotional environments. Our study highlights the potential utility and importance of distinguishing between positive and negative emotion expression, and adopting both individual and societal perspectives in well-being research. Individual pathways to happiness may not necessarily promote the happiness of others.",

keywords = "Latin America, Societal emotional environment, Culture, Emotion expression, Emotion regulation, Life satisfaction, Societal well-being",

author = "Kuba Krys and Yeung, {June Chun} and Capaldi, {Colin A.} and Lun, {Vivian Miu Chi} and Claudio Torres and {van Tilburg}, {Wijnand A.P.} and Bond, {Michael Harris} and Zelenski, {John M.} and Haas, {Brian W.} and Joonha Park and Fridanna Maricchiolo and Vauclair, {Christin Melanie} and Aleksandra Kosiarczyk and Agata Kocimska-Zych and Anna Kwiatkowska and Mladen Adamovic and Vassilis Pavlopoulos and M{\'a}rta F{\"u}l{\"o}p and David Sirlopu and Ayu Okvitawanli and Diana Boer and Julien Teyssier and Arina Malyonova and Alin Gavreliuc and Yukiko Uchida and Ursula Serdarevich and Charity Akotia and Lily Appoh and {Mira, D.M}, Ar{\'e}valo and Arno Baltin and Patrick Denoux and Alejandra Dominguez-Espinosa and Esteves, {Carla Sofia} and Vladimer Gamsakhurdia and Gar{\dh}arsd{\'o}ttir, {Ragna B.} and Igbokwe, {David O.} and Igou, {Eric R.} and İdil I{\c s}ık and Natalia Kascakova and {Klůzov{\'a} Kra{\v c}m{\'a}rov{\'a}}, Lucie and Nicole Kronberger and Lee, {J. Hannah} and Xinhui Liu and Barrientos, {Pablo Eduardo} and Tamara Mohori{\'c} and Mustaffa, {Nur Fariza} and Oriana Mosca and Martin Nader and Azar Nadi and {van Osch}, Yvette and Zoran Pavlovi{\'c} and {Pol{\'a}{\v c}kov{\'a} {\v S}olcov{\'a}}, Iva and Muhammad Rizwan and Vladyslav Romashov and Espen R{\o}ysamb and Ruta Sargautyte and Beate Schwarz and Lenka Seleck{\'a} and Selim, {Heyla A.} and Maria Stogianni and Sun, {Chien Ru} and Cai Xing and Vignoles, {Vivian L.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.",

year = "2022",

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doi = "10.1080/17439760.2020.1858332",

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Krys, K, Yeung, JC, Capaldi, CA, Lun, VMC, Torres, C, van Tilburg, WAP, Bond, MH, Zelenski, JM, Haas, BW, Park, J, Maricchiolo, F, Vauclair, CM, Kosiarczyk, A, Kocimska-Zych, A, Kwiatkowska, A, Adamovic, M, Pavlopoulos, V, Fülöp, M, Sirlopu, D, Okvitawanli, A, Boer, D, Teyssier, J, Malyonova, A, Gavreliuc, A, Uchida, Y, Serdarevich, U, Akotia, C, Appoh, L, Mira, D.M, A, Baltin, A, Denoux, P, Dominguez-Espinosa, A, Esteves, CS, Gamsakhurdia, V, Garðarsdóttir, RB, Igbokwe, DO, Igou, ER, Işık, İ, Kascakova, N, Klůzová Kračmárová, L, Kronberger, N, Lee, JH, Liu, X, Barrientos, PE, Mohorić, T, Mustaffa, NF, Mosca, O, Nader, M, Nadi, A, van Osch, Y, Pavlović, Z, Poláčková Šolcová, I, Rizwan, M, Romashov, V, Røysamb, E, Sargautyte, R, Schwarz, B, Selecká, L, Selim, HA, Stogianni, M, Sun, CR, Xing, C & Vignoles, VL 2022, 'Societal emotional environments and cross-cultural differences in life satisfaction: a forty-nine country study', Journal of Positive Psychology, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 117-130. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2020.1858332

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T2 - a forty-nine country study

AU - Krys, Kuba

AU - Yeung, June Chun

AU - Capaldi, Colin A.

AU - Lun, Vivian Miu Chi

AU - Torres, Claudio

AU - van Tilburg, Wijnand A.P.

AU - Bond, Michael Harris

AU - Zelenski, John M.

AU - Haas, Brian W.

AU - Park, Joonha

AU - Maricchiolo, Fridanna

AU - Vauclair, Christin Melanie

AU - Kosiarczyk, Aleksandra

AU - Kocimska-Zych, Agata

AU - Kwiatkowska, Anna

AU - Adamovic, Mladen

AU - Pavlopoulos, Vassilis

AU - Fülöp, Márta

AU - Sirlopu, David

AU - Okvitawanli, Ayu

AU - Boer, Diana

AU - Teyssier, Julien

AU - Malyonova, Arina

AU - Gavreliuc, Alin

AU - Uchida, Yukiko

AU - Serdarevich, Ursula

AU - Akotia, Charity

AU - Appoh, Lily

AU - Mira, D.M, Arévalo

AU - Baltin, Arno

AU - Denoux, Patrick

AU - Dominguez-Espinosa, Alejandra

AU - Esteves, Carla Sofia

AU - Gamsakhurdia, Vladimer

AU - Garðarsdóttir, Ragna B.

AU - Igbokwe, David O.

AU - Igou, Eric R.

AU - Işık, İdil

AU - Kascakova, Natalia

AU - Klůzová Kračmárová, Lucie

AU - Kronberger, Nicole

AU - Lee, J. Hannah

AU - Liu, Xinhui

AU - Barrientos, Pablo Eduardo

AU - Mohorić, Tamara

AU - Mustaffa, Nur Fariza

AU - Mosca, Oriana

AU - Nader, Martin

AU - Nadi, Azar

AU - van Osch, Yvette

AU - Pavlović, Zoran

AU - Poláčková Šolcová, Iva

AU - Rizwan, Muhammad

AU - Romashov, Vladyslav

AU - Røysamb, Espen

AU - Sargautyte, Ruta

AU - Schwarz, Beate

AU - Selecká, Lenka

AU - Selim, Heyla A.

AU - Stogianni, Maria

AU - Sun, Chien Ru

AU - Xing, Cai

AU - Vignoles, Vivian L.

PY - 2022/1/2

Y1 - 2022/1/2

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AB - In this paper, we introduce the concept of ‘societal emotional environment’: the emotional climate of a society (operationalized as the degree to which positive and negative emotions are expressed in a society). Using data collected from 12,888 participants across 49 countries, we show how societal emotional environments vary across countries and cultural clusters, and we consider the potential importance of these differences for well-being. Multilevel analyses supported a ‘double-edged sword’ model of negative emotion expression, where expression of negative emotions predicted higher life satisfaction for the expresser but lower life satisfaction for society. In contrast, partial support was found for higher societal life satisfaction in positive societal emotional environments. Our study highlights the potential utility and importance of distinguishing between positive and negative emotion expression, and adopting both individual and societal perspectives in well-being research. Individual pathways to happiness may not necessarily promote the happiness of others.

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KW - Societal emotional environment

KW - Culture

KW - Emotion expression

KW - Emotion regulation

KW - Life satisfaction

KW - Societal well-being

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Societal emotional environments and cross-cultural differences in life satisfaction: a forty-nine country study

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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CUBE: Católica Lisbon Research Unit in Business and Economics

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Societal emotional environments and cross-cultural differences in life satisfaction: a forty-nine country study

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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Other files and links

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CUBE: Católica Lisbon Research Unit in Business and Economics

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