Differential Value-Wellness Associations in the Unequal World: Social-Focused Values for the Privileged, Personal-Focused Values for the Disadvantaged

Amid increasing global inequality and diverse value systems, this study examined how economic resources at both individual and country levels moderate the associations between values and wellness (i.e., subjective well-being and health). Using data from the World Values Survey across 75 countries, the findings challenged the prevailing assumption that a social focus is inherently more adaptive for the economically disadvantaged. Instead, results suggested that personal-focused values were more advantageous in low (vs. high)-resource contexts. At the country level, the negative association between self-enhancement and wellness was attenuated or reversed in lower HDI countries. At the individual level, self-enhancement and openness to change were more positively—or less negatively—associated with wellness among lower-class individuals, while self-transcendence and conservation were more strongly associated with wellness among higher-class individuals. These findings highlight the context-dependent nature of value-wellness relationships and the social responsibility of those from more affluent backgrounds.