Age and Cultural Differences in Cognitive and Affective Components of Subjective Well-Being

Abstract

Previous research suggests that subjective well-being (SWB) is experienced differently according to age and culture.The present study examined age and cultural differences in cognitive and affective components of SWB.Forty-two Chinese older adults, 47 Chinese young adults, 52 American older adults, and 47 American young adults completed surveys measuring self-life satisfaction, family's life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect.It was found that older adults had lower negative affect than young adults in both China and U.S. It was also found that Americans had higher levels of self-life satisfaction, family's life satisfaction, and positive affect than Chinese across age groups.Additionally, family's life satisfaction was more related to self-life satisfaction for Chinese than for Americans.Findings are discussed in light of the Socioemotional Selectivity Theory and the theories of culture and self-construal.iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to acknowledge those who have supported me through the process of completing my master's thesis.First, I would like to thank my chair, Dr. Yiwei Chen, for providing direction for my research and for reading through various drafts.Thank you for guiding me through this process with your expertise in the area of aging and adult development and for encouraging me along the way.I would also like to thank Dr. Dara Musher-Eizenman for providing me assistance with statistical analyses I needed help with and for her time and invaluable suggestions that helped to improve the quality of my thesis.I would wish to

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