Cross-cultural aging in cognitive and affective components of subjective well-being.
The present study examined age and cultural differences in cognitive and affective components of subjective well-being. A sample of 188 American and Chinese young and older adults completed surveys measuring self-life satisfaction, perceived family's life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect. Across cultures, older adults reported lower negative affect than did young adults. Americans reported higher self-life satisfaction, perceived family's life satisfaction, and positive affect than did Chinese. In addition, perceived family's life satisfaction was more related to self-life satisfaction for Chinese than for Americans. Findings are discussed in light of socioemotional selectivity theory and theories on culture and self-construal.
Pethtel
Olivia
O
Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA. oliviap@bgsu.edu
Chen
Yiwei
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000208:ethnology / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D044466:Asian People / Q000523:psychology*; D003071:Cognition; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult