Good for All, Better for Individualists
Autonomy's Impact on Well‐Being Across the Globe
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7168446 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ruisi Li (0000-0003-4929-3329, Tsinghua University), Kaiping Peng (0000-0001-8515-3409, Tsinghua University), Linjia Jiang (0009-0009-8707-4013, Chinese University of Hong Kong), Jingjin Li (0000-0003-0193-7228, Cornell University), Fei Wang (0000-0003-0860-6317, Tsinghua University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 19 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Publication date | 2025-05-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Social and Personality Psychology Compass (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1751-9004 • E-ISSN: 1751-9004 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/spc3.70064 |
| OpenAlex | W4410523884 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 91 |
The ongoing debate regarding personal autonomy's impact on well‐being reveals a divide: universalists believe autonomy is universally prized across cultures and crucial for well‐being, while relativists argue it is rooted in individualistic cultures. Through analyses of three independent, global datasets encompassing 247,417 participants (Studies 1–3), we observed a consistent positive correlation between autonomy and subjective well‐being. However, this correlation was more pronounced in individualistic cultures than in collectivist ones. Furthermore, using an experimental dataset encompassing 16,750 participants (Study 4), we showed that cultural collectivism moderated the indirect effect of autonomy‐supportive message on defiance via autonomous motivation. Lastly, in a pre‐registered experiment involving 198 participants (Study 5), we discovered that an individual's interdependence orientation moderates the impact of autonomy‐supportive message on defiance and subjective well‐being. Importantly, this effect could be explained through the mechanism of internalization rather than social norms. In sum, these findings provide a nuanced understanding of autonomy's significance across cultural contexts, highlighting both universal and culturally specific aspects of autonomy's role in enhancing well‐being
Autonomy · Globe · Individualism · Personal autonomy · Political science · Cultural Differences and Values · Law · Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports · Neuroscience · Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction · Psychology · Social Psychology
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Autonomy is Associated with Well-being Across the World, but more Strongly in Wealthy and Individualistic Countries
The impact of democracy on people's well‐being through enhanced autonomy
Emotion and culture
Self-Determination Theory
Advances and Open Questions in the Science of Subjective Well-Being
Engaging students in learning activities
Development, Freedom, and Rising Happiness
Cross-Cultural Variations in Predictors of Life Satisfaction
On “Feeling Right” in Cultural Contexts
Psychological needs, motivation, and well-being
On psychological growth and vulnerability
“I” Value Freedom, but “We” Value Relationships
Testing a Self-Determination Theory Process Model for Promoting Glycemic Control Through Diabetes Self-Management.
Self-Determination Theory Applied to Health Contexts
Further Evidence That Psychological Reactance Can Be Modeled as a Combination of Anger and Negative Cognitions
The Effect of Small Sample Size on Two-Level Model Estimates
Money and Happiness
The development of the five mini-theories of self-determination theory
Daily Well-Being
Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcement.
Sufficient Sample Sizes for Multilevel Modeling
Basic psychological need satisfaction, need frustration, and need strength across four cultures
Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior
Freedom Rising
A Theory of Psychological Reactance
Self‐Regulation and the Problem of Human Autonomy
Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being
Self-Determination Theory in Work Organizations
Agency as a Sociological Variable
Self‐determination theory and work motivation
On the Nature of Reactance and its Role in Persuasive Health Communication
Long-run cultural divergence
Within-person variation in security of attachment
Rethinking the value of choice
Motivating Learning, Performance, and Persistence
Culture, self, and the emergence of reactance
Self-determination
The Value of Autonomy for the Good Life. An Empirical Investigation of Autonomy and Life Satisfaction in Europe
Culture and the self
The "What" and "Why" of Goal Pursuits
How Many Countries for Multilevel Modeling? A Comparison of Frequentist and Bayesian Approaches
Interpersonal supports for basic psychological needs and their relations with motivation, well-being, and performance
The religion paradox
Needs and subjective well-being around the world
Effects of externally mediated rewards on intrinsic motivation
Some tests of the distinction between the private self and the collective self
Who Is Happy
Need Satisfaction and Well-Being
Psychological Reactance and Persuasive Health Communication
Multilevel Modelling of Country Effects
Does Choice Mean Freedom and Well-Being
Income Inequality and Subjective Well-being
Agency, Values, and Well-Being
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 3 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |