title: Subjective and Objective Hierarchies and Their Relations to Psychological Well-Being: A U.S/Japan Comparison.
abstract: Hierarchy can be conceptualized as objective social status (e.g., education level) or subjective social status (i.e., one's own judgment of one's status). Both forms predict well-being. This is the first investigation of the relative strength of these hierarchy-well-being relationships in the U.S. and Japan, cultural contexts with different normative ideas about how social status is understood and conferred. In probability samples of Japanese (N=1027) and U.S. (N=1805) adults,subjectivesocial status more strongly predicted life satisfaction, positive affect, sense of purpose, and self acceptance in the U.S. than in Japan. In contrast,objectivesocial status more strongly predicted life satisfaction, positive relations with others, and self acceptance in Japan than in the U.S. These differences reflect divergent cultural models of self. The emphasis on independence characteristic of the U.S. affords credence to one's own judgment (subjective status) and the interdependence characteristic of Japan to what others can observe (objective status).
authors.affiliation: Stanford University.
authors.forename: Katherine B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Curhan
authors.affiliation: Stanford University.
authors.forename: Cynthia S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.affiliation: Stanford University.
authors.forename: Hazel Rose
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Markus
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan.
authors.forename: Shinobu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kitayama
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan.
authors.forename: Jiyoung
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Tokyo Woman's Christian University.
authors.forename: Mayumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karasawa
authors.affiliation: University of Tokyo.
authors.forename: Norito
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kawakami
authors.affiliation: University of Wisconsin, Madison.
authors.forename: Gayle D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Love
authors.affiliation: University of Wisconsin, Madison.
authors.forename: Christopher L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Coe
authors.affiliation: University of Wisconsin, Madison.
authors.forename: Yuri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.affiliation: University of Wisconsin, Madison.
authors.forename: Carol D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Ryff
keywords: Culture and Self; Culture/Ethnicity; Emotion; Interdependence; Social Status; Well-being