Author(s)

Jingjing Jiao ¹

Affiliation(s)

¹ College of Economics and Management, Zhaoqing University, Zhaoqing, Guangdong, China

Corresponding Author

Jingjing Jiao

ABSTRACT

Subjective Well-Being (SWB), as a crucial psychological indicator for measuring an individual's quality of life, has garnered extensive attention across economics, sociology, psychology, and cultural psychology. Cultural values, particularly individualism–collectivism (I–C), are viewed as profoundly shaping an individual's self-identity, social relationships, social comparison, and life satisfaction. This paper systematically reviews the influence of individualism and collectivism on subjective well-being based on domestic and international literature. Research indicates that I–C exerts its effects on SWB through multiple pathways, operating via mechanisms such as self-construction, social support, cultural fit, and social comparison. The paper also summarizes existing research limitations concerning sample representativeness and causal identification, while proposing directions for future studies.

KEYWORDS

Individualism; Collectivism; Subjective Well-being; Cultural Psychology

CITE THIS PAPER

Jingjing Jiao, Individualism, Collectivism and Subjective Well-Being: A Literature Review. Applied & Educational Psychology (2025) Vol. 6: 21-27. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/appep.2025.060403.

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