Help-Seeking Tendencies and Subjective Well-Being: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of the United States and Japan. (June 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lua, Verity Y. Q.; Majeed, Nadyanna M.; Hartanto, Andree; Leung, Angela K.-y.
• Is Part Of: Social psychology quarterly. Volume 85:Number 2(2022)
• Page Start: 164
• Page End: 186
• Publication Date: 2022-06
• Subjects: cultural differences -- help-seeking tendencies -- independent culture -- interdependent culture -- subjective well-being; Social psychology -- Periodicals; 302.05
• DOI: 10.1177/01902725221077075
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0190-2725

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.