Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
acceptedVersion
Publication Date
4-2022
Abstract
Help-seeking is commonly conceived as an instrumental behavior that improves people’s subjective well-being. However, most findings supporting a positive association between help-seeking and subjective well-being are observed in independence-preferring countries. Drawing from research demonstrating that the pathways to subjective well-being are culturally divergent, we posit that help-seeking tendencies may be detrimental to subjective well-being for members in interdependence-preferring countries where norms for preserving relational harmony and face concerns are prevalent. This study tested the moderating role of country in the relationship between help-seeking tendencies and subjective well-being using data from 5,068 American and Japanese participants. Results revealed that although help-seeking tendencies were associated with greater life satisfaction, higher positive affect, and lower negative affect among Americans, help-seeking tendencies were associated with poorer life satisfaction and lower positive affect among Japanese. We discuss the importance of adopting culturally sensitive perspectives when examining antecedents of subjective well-being.
Keywords
help-seeking tendencies, subjective well-being, interdependent culture, independent culture, cultural differences
Discipline
Asian Studies | Multicultural Psychology | Social Psychology
Research Areas
Psychology
Publication
Social Psychology Quarterly
Volume
85
Issue
2
First Page
164
Last Page
186
ISSN
0190-2725
Identifier
10.1177/01902725221077075
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Citation
LUA, Verity Yu Qing, MAJEED, Nadyanna, HARTANTO, Andree, & LEUNG, Angela K. Y..(2022). Help-seeking tendencies and subjective well-being: A cross-cultural comparison of the United States and Japan. Social Psychology Quarterly, 85(2), 164-186.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/3665
Copyright Owner and License
Authors
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.1177/01902725221077075