Perceived social image and life satisfaction across cultures

Abstract

We studied the relationship between perceived social image and life satisfaction in four different cultural groups. One-hundred nine Indian (63 females, 46 males), 67 Pakistani/Bangladeshi (36 females, 31 males), 76 White British (43 females, 33 males), and 94 European Americans (43 females, 48 males) completed measures on the cultural importance of social image, positive and negative emotions, academic achievement, and perceived social image. Indian and Pakistani/Bangladeshi participants valued social image more than White British and European-American participants. Consistent with this value difference, a positive perceived social image predicted life satisfaction among Indian and Pakistani/Bangladeshi participants only. For these participants, perceived social image predicted life satisfaction above and beyond the effects of emotions and academic achievement. Academic achievement only predicted life satisfaction among White British and European Americans. Emotions were significant predictors of life satisfaction for all participants.

Keywords:

• Perceived social image
• Life satisfaction
• Emotions
• Achievement
• Well-being

Notes

¹Cultural differences should be seen as relative rather than absolute as elements of both collectivistic and individualistic value systems are present in most cultures (Jansz, 1991).

²Other cross-cultural studies have measured satisfaction with different types of relationships, like friendship satisfaction (e.g., Biswas-Diener & Diener, 2006; Oishi et al., 1999). These studies did not measure perceived social image. Veenhoven (2011) examined the association between well-being and social rank, which was measured in terms of an individual's income, occupation, and subjective class identification. Social rank has not been defined or measured as perceived social image. Finally, a few studies have examined person perception in the context of well-being. These studies have not focused on social image, but rather on how individuals who report high levels of life satisfaction are perceived by others (e.g., as extraverted; see, e.g., Costa & McCrae, 1991; Nave, Sherman, & Funder, 2008).

³Rodriguez Mosquera et al.'s studies (2002, 2008) measured honour, a particular form of collectivism (Triandis, 1989).

⁴Rodriguez Mosquera et al.'s honour scale (2002) measures the importance of a positive social image in specific domains (e.g., sexual modesty, virility), and not a general concern with social image. This scale can be found at http://culture-and-emotion.research.wesleyan.edu/ (under research materials).

⁵We did not exclude any participants. Participants were recruited through participant pools in their respective universities, which required them to gain a number of credits in research participation. Thus, the participants also filled in other measures unrelated to the present study.

⁶Indians and Pakistanis/Bangladeshis scored higher than White British and European Americans did on all the scale's items.

⁷Correlations among predictors were similar across groups.

⁸These results were replicated when the emotions measures were replaced with the PANAS-X General Dimension Scales of positive affect and negative affect (Watson & Clark, 1994). Emotions predicted life satisfaction for South Asians (p _{positive emotions}=.001; p _{negative emotions}=.002) and Anglos (p _{positive emotions}=.001; p _{negative emotions}=.001). Achievement predicted life satisfaction for Anglos (p=.001), but not for South Asians (p=.39). Perceived social image predicted life satisfaction for South Asians (p=.01), but not for Anglos (p=.06).

⁹The difference between Indian and European-American participants' scores was not significant, p>.05.

¹⁰The difference between European-American and Pakistani/Bangladeshi participants' scores on achievement was marginally significant, p=.06. Males (M _adj=5.13, SE=0.08) scored higher on positive emotions than females (M _adj=4.68, SE=0.08), F(1, 335)=16.07, p<.001, , who scored higher on negative emotions (M _adj=3.53, SE=0.11) than males (M _adj=2.97, SE=0.12), F(1, 335)=11.27, p=.001, . Males scored higher on academic achievement (M _adj=7.33, SE=0.11) and perceived social image (M _adj=7.23, SE=0.11) than females (achievement: M _adj=6.73, SE=0.10; social image: M _adj=6.88, SE=0.10), F(1, 335)=17.40, p<.001, , and F(1, 335)=5.30, p=.02, , respectively. Males (M _adj=4.89, SE=0.09) reported a higher life satisfaction than females (M _adj=4.58, SE=0.08), F(1, 334)=6.53, p=.01, . Interaction effects were not significant.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Toshie Imada

Toshie Imada is now at the Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Brunel University