Self-concordance and Subjective Well-being in Four Cultures
Author(s)
Sheldon, Kennon M.; Elliot, Andrew J.; Ryan, Richard M.; Chirkov, Valery; Kim, Youngmee; Wu, Cindy; Demir, Meliksah; Sun, Zhigang
Abstract
Sheldon and colleagues have recently focused research attention on the concept of self-concordance, in which people feel that they pursue their goals because the goals fit with their underlying interests and values rather than because others say they should pursue them. Self-concordant individuals typically evidence higher subjective well-being (SWB). But is this also true in non- Western cultures, which emphasize people’s duty to conform to societal expectations and group-centered norms? To address this question, this study assessed goal self-concordance and SWB in four different cultures. U.S., Chinese, and South Korean samples evidenced equal levels of self-concordance, whereas a Taiwanese sample evidenced somewhat less self-concordance. More importantly, self-concordance predicted SWB within every culture. It appears that “owning one’s actions”–that is, feeling that one’s goals are consistent with the self–may be important for most if not all humans.
