Jenny Dun
Research Mentor: Alexandra Wormley
Mentor Department: Department of Psychology, LSA
Author(s): Jenny Dun
Session: Session 5 (2:00 PM – 2:50 PM)
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
Abstract
Culture and religion shape not only what people feel, but what they ideally want to feel. Drawing on Affect Valuation Theory, the present study examined how national identity (United States vs. South Korea) and religious identity (Protestant vs. Buddhist) predict ideal affect preferences and how discrepancies between ideal and actual affect relate to life satisfaction. Participants (n = 454) completed measures of ideal affect, actual affect, and life satisfaction. Consistent with past research, Americans reported significantly higher ideal high-arousal positive emotions (HAP; e.g., enthusiasm, excitement) than South Koreans. However, contrary to our hypothesis, low-arousal positive (LAP; e.g., calm, content) preferences did not differ significantly by nationality. Protestants reported higher ideal HAP than Buddhists, but religious identity did not significantly predict LAP. This pattern aligns with broader research suggesting an increase in preference for low-arousal emotions across different cultures. Across groups, greater alignment between actual and ideal positive affect predicted higher life satisfaction. However, the association between HAP alignment and life satisfaction varied across religious and national groups. Overall, these findings highlight how cultural and religious contexts shape emotional ideals and demonstrate that well-being is closely tied to the degree to which individuals experience the emotions they value.
