Mitigating the Negative Effects of Lower-Class Backgrounds on Subjective Well-Being: The Role of Nonessentialist Views of Happiness

Youngju Kim (), Xyle Ku, Jennifer Hyunji Kim, Sung-Ha Lee, Seung Eun Cha and Incheol Choi ()
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Youngju Kim: Dong-Eui University
Xyle Ku: Korea Military Academy
Jennifer Hyunji Kim: Seoul National University
Sung-Ha Lee: Yonsei University
Seung Eun Cha: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Incheol Choi: Seoul National University

Journal of Happiness Studies, 2025, vol. 26, issue 5, No 18, 23 pages

Abstract: Abstract Previous research indicates that individuals from lower social class backgrounds are prone to experiencing lower levels of subjective well-being (SWB). In the present research, we sought to examine the role of essentialist beliefs about happiness (EBH) in moderating the strength of the association between social class and SWB. We carried out investigations in four samples recruited from South Korea (total N = 6,149). In Studies 1 A, 1B, and 2, we found that the endorsement of nonessentialist (vs. essentialist) beliefs about happiness—the belief that happiness can be cultivated with effort and is not immutable or biologically determined—attenuated class-based disparities in SWB. In (preregistered) Study 3, we manipulated EBH and found a similar pattern of results. Together, our findings suggest that nonessentialist beliefs can buffer individuals of lower social class backgrounds against poor SWB, indicating that the happiness gap between the upper and lower social strata of society is not inevitable.

Keywords: Social class; Happiness; Subjective well-being; Essentialist belief about happiness; Disparity in well-being (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s10902-025-00909-0

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