How Cultural Values Affect Subjective Well-Being Among Older Adults: The Role of Proximity of Clothing to Self

Abstract

This study examined how cultural values (self-construal) affect subjective well-being through the proximity of clothing to self among older adults in Taiwan. Data included survey responses from 249 older adults from elderly community centers in Taiwan. Structural equation modeling and bootstrapping were employed to test the hypotheses. This study found that older adults with interdependent selves were more likely to have high subjective well-being through self-esteem derived from proximity of clothing to self. In contrast, older adults with independent selves tended to have high subjective well-being through self as structure derived from proximity of clothing to self. These findings inform researchers, family members, caregivers, and government policymakers about the mechanism behind the relationship between cultural values and subjective well-being, and how psychological closeness of clothing to self mediates the relationship between cultural values (self-construal) and subjective well-being. Further, the results inform useful strategies on how to employ clothing to enhance subjective well-being.