Cross-Lagged Associations Between Social Trust Perceptions and Subjective Well-Being Across Societies: The Moderating Role of Cultural dimension

Social trust refers to an individual’s belief in the reliability and integrity of others, and is closely linked to well-being. However, the association between social trust and well-being may vary depending on cultural values such as flexibility–monumentalism. In flexibility cultures like Korea, individuals tend to build social trust gradually through consistent actions and enduring relationships, often valuing future rewards (Hofstede, 2001). In contrast, monumentalism cultures like America may place greater emphasis on immediate reciprocity and quick validation of trust (Zheng et al., 2023). These differing cultural perspectives shape not only how social trust is formed but also how it contributes to individual well-being.