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The Cultural Drivers of Subjective Well-Being

Number: 93
Year: 2016
Author(s): Pierluigi Conzo, Arnstein Aassve, Giulia Fuochi, Letizia Mencarini
The paper provides a framework of how culture affects citizens' subjective well-being. According to self-determination theory, well-being is driven by the satisfaction of three basic psychological needs: autonomy, relatedness and competence. We assess if and to what extent generalized trust and the values of obedience and respect influence the Europeans’ satisfaction of these needs, controlling for income and education. We find positive impact of generalized morality (i.e. high trust and respect, low obedience). Results are robust to different checks for endogeneity, including instrumental variable regressions at country, regional and individual level as well as to panel-data estimations.

Pierluigi Conzo
University of Turin, CSEF & Collegio Carlo Alberto


Arnstein Aassve
Dondena Centre for Research on Social Dynamics and Public Policy, Bocconi University


Giulia Fuochi
University of Padua


Letizia Mencarini
Dondena Centre for Research on Social Dynamics and Public Policy, Bocconi University

 

Language: English

 

The paper may be downloaded here.

 

Keywords: self-determination,culture,trust,subjective well-being,happiness,life satisfaction