Country Level Predictors of Independent vs. Interdependent Happiness

Recently, research on happiness has expanded from individual level analysis to cultural comparisons of happiness with other country level characteristics. While there is some debate over whether measures of well-being and happiness are equivalent at both the individual and country level, evidence suggests that the structure of the measure and its correlates are similar across both the individual and country level (Lucas & Diener, 2008).

However, aggregate scores of happiness are typically formed from an individualistic measure of happiness developed in Western societies and then applied across all cultures. Less is known about the country level predictors of non-Western measures of happiness. This talk will compare aggregate country scores of both independent and interdependent measures of happiness with objective country level variables using new data from the International Situations Project (ISP). Participants from 55 countries (N = 13,761) rated their happiness using the Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) and Interdependent Happiness Scale (IHS).

Overall, country scores of SHS and IHS were strongly correlated with each other (r = .49). Contrary to past research, life expectancy was not related to SHS or IHS, however suicide rates were negatively correlated with SHS. Population density was the strongest positive correlate with both SHS and IHS. Gender inequality was negatively correlated with IHS but positively correlated with SHS. In conclusion, while country scores of IHS and SHS appear to be highly correlated with each other, they do not always share the same predictive qualities for objective country level variables.