Negative interaction between democratization and economic development on changes in average life satisfaction: evidence from European countries between 1981 and 2022

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the association between post-materialist values and subjective well-being in European countries, while examining the complex relationships between the diffusion of post-materialist values, economic development, and democratization. This study analyzed data from the European Values Study and World Values Survey between 1981 and 2022 using finite mixture models and fixed-effects models. The results show that the positive association between diffusing post-materialist values and changes in average life satisfaction was mediated by social changes, including economic development and democratization. However, a negative association between economic development and democratization emerged; although both were positively associated with changes in national life satisfaction, their associations could be offset by each other. This implies that while social change is intertwined with social values and subjective well-being, the relationships between them are highly intricate.

Keywords

• Subjective well-being
• post-materialist values
• economic development
• democratization
• European countries
• fixed effects model