Religiosity and Subjective Well-Being: An International Perspective

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Citation:

Tay, L., Li, M., Myers, D., & Diener, E. (2014). Religiosity and Subjective Well-Being: An International Perspective. In Religion and spirituality across Cultures (pp. 163-175). Springer Netherlands.

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Abstract:

To what extent does religiosity relate to subjective well-being (SWB) across the world? We review empirical evidence from both Western and non-Western nations and it points to a pan-cultural positive relation between religiosity and SWB. Using a multilevel perspective, we propose psychological and social mechanisms for this process: at the individual level, religiosity fulfills needs; at the national level, collective religiosity can enhance pro-social behaviors. Recent research also points to contextual effects of religiosity. National religiosity can serve as a buffer to SWB against difficult life circumstances; it can also augment personal religiosity effects on SWB. Future research directions on religiosity and SWB are discussed.

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