Publication Type

Book Chapter

Version

acceptedVersion

Publication Date

1-2008

Abstract

The theme of this chapter is that cooperative and trusting social relationships tend to enhance people’s subjective well-being (happiness and life satisfaction), and that in turn positive feelings of well-being tend to augment cooperation and trust. Extensive empirical work now supports the fact that sociability, interpersonal warmth, community involvement, and interpersonal trust are heightened by positive emotions. New analyses based on the World Value Survey show that nations that are high on subjective well-being (SWB) also tend to be high on generalized trust, volunteerism, and democratic attitudes. Additional analyses indicate that the association of SWB to volunteerism and democratic attitudes is not fully accounted for by GDP per capita, freedom, or filial piety. The implications of SWB for promoting greater cooperation and trust within society and across nations is considered.

Keywords

Happiness, Well-being, Nations, Trust, Democracy, Cooperation, Political Psychology, Social interaction

Discipline

Personality and Social Contexts | Social Psychology

Research Areas

Psychology

Publication

Cooperation: The Political Psychology of Effective Human Interaction

Issue

3

Editor

Brandon A. Sullivan, Mark Snyder and John L. Sullivan

First Page

323

Last Page

342

ISBN

9781405158763

Identifier

10.1007/978-90-481-2350-6_7

Publisher

Blackwell

City or Country

Malden, MA

Copyright Owner and License

Authors

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2350-6_7

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