Past research has found a mixed relationship between age and subjective well-being. The current research advances the understanding of these findings by incorporating a cultural perspective. We tested whether the relationship between age and well-being is moderated by uncertainty avoidance, a cultural dimension dealing with society’s tolerance for ambiguity. In Study 1 (N = 64,228), using a multilevel approach with an international database, we found that older age was associated with lower well-being in countries higher in uncertainty avoidance but not in countries lower in uncertainty avoidance. Further, this cultural variation was mediated by a sense of control. In Study 2 (N = 1,025), we compared a culture with low uncertainty avoidance (the United States) with a culture with high uncertainty avoidance (Romania) and found a consistent pattern: Age was negatively associated with well-being in Romania but not in the United States. This cultural difference was mediated by the use of contrasting coping strategies associated with different levels of a sense of control.

中文翻译：

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年龄与幸福感之间关联的文化差异：不确定性规避的作用

过去的研究发现年龄和主观幸福感之间存在混合关系。当前的研究通过纳入文化视角来促进对这些发现的理解。我们测试了年龄与幸福感之间的关系是否受到不确定性规避的调节，不确定性规避是一种处理社会对歧义容忍度的文化维度。在研究 1 (N = 64,228) 中，使用国际数据库的多层次方法，我们发现在不确定性规避程度较高的国家，年龄较大与幸福感较低有关，但在不确定性规避程度较低的国家中则不然。此外，这种文化差异是由控制感介导的。在研究 2 (N = 1,025) 中，我们将不确定性回避率低的文化（美国）与不确定性回避率高的文化（罗马尼亚）进行了比较，并发现了一致的模式：在罗马尼亚，年龄与幸福感呈负相关，但在美国则不然。这种文化差异是通过使用与不同控制感水平相关的对比应对策略来调节的。