Examining the Relationship Between Positive Mood and Life Satisfaction in Easterners and Westerners: Is Feeling Good Associated with Building Agency, Broadening Pathways, or Both?

The present study sought to determine if the positive association between positive mood and life satisfaction can be understood as a function of hope. Consistent with the broaden-and-build model of positive emotions, we tested the hypothesis that positive mood would be associated with broadening hope agency, building hope pathways, or both, in Western and Eastern cultural groups, namely, in an adult sample of European Americans (N = 228) and Asian Indians (N = 192), respectively. Results examining for bootstrapped mediation testing with multiple mediators indicated one consistent pattern across both groups. Specifically, positive mood was indirectly associated with life satisfaction through hope agency, but not through hope pathways. In addition, the initial association between positive mood and life satisfaction became nonsignificant once hope was included as a mediator for Asian Indians, but not for European Americans. In contrast, positive mood remained a significant predictor of life satisfaction for European Americans. Overall, the present findings suggest that one pan-cultural way in which positive mood might foster life satisfaction is by activating people’s belief that they have the ability to achieve their future goals. Some implications of the present findings are discussed.