The Roles of Values, Behavior, and Value‐Behavior Fit in the Relation of Agency and Communion to Well‐Being

Abstract

Four studies examined whether agency and communion values, behaviors, or an interaction between values and behaviors (value-behavior fit) would predict well-being. In addition, Study 2 examined whether agency and communion goals, behaviors, or goal-behavior fit would predict well-being. In all four studies, participants completed online questionnaires containing measures of agency and communion values, behaviors, and well-being. In Studies 1 and 4, participants were recruited from the general population (respectively, N = 371, Mage = 37.49, and N = 133, Mage = 36.59). In Studies 2 and 3, participants were undergraduate students (respectively, N = 239, Mage = 20.8, and N = 242, Mage = 21.6). All four studies consistently found that agency and communion behaviors were significantly positively correlated with both subjective and psychological well-being. There was no strong indication that either values were directly associated with well-being. Neither was there any indication that well-being was predicted by value-behavior fit. The implications of these findings for theory and improving well-being are discussed.