The Impact of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Values on Well-Being: Evidence from American Data

Abstract

This paper examines how different intrinsic and extrinsic values can impact the subjective well-being of American citizens. This study uses data from the 2011 World Value Survey. Previous studies in the United States suggest that valuing intrinsic goals is associated with enhanced well-being, whereas, the pursuit of extrinsic values leads to either little or no impact on well-being. Consistent with the major pattern, the empirical findings of this paper suggest that besides the effects of control variables such as gender, relationship status, and household income-level, American citizens who demonstrate intrinsically oriented values are more likely to feel happy and be satisfied with their life, whereas, extrinsic values have a negative, little or no impact on their well-being. Furthermore and interestingly, the results suggest that Americans demonstrating intrinsically oriented values are even more likely to demonstrate very high levels of happiness and life satisfaction in comparison to moderate levels of subjective well-being.