Big Five Personality Traits as Predictors of Subjective Well-Being in Peruvian University Students: Cultural Differences

This study examines the influence of personality traits on subjective well-being in 414 Peruvian university students from two different cultural groups, among which 203 belong to a region characterized by collectivist cultural values and 211 are part of a region governed by an individualistic culture. The Big Five Inventory-15 (BFI-15), the WHO-5 Well-Being Index (WHO-5 WBI), and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) were applied. The results imply that personality traits, with similarities and differences, affect subjective well-being, depending on the cultural context. Specifically, emotional well-being is directly influenced by extraversion and inversely by neuroticism , in both groups. Furthermore, kindness , openness to experiences , and conscientiousness have a distinct impact on emotional well-being based on the cultural context; in such a way that agreeableness and openness are direct predictors only in the collectivist context, while conscientiousness is only a predictor in the individualistic context. Emotional well-being positively impacts satisfaction with life in both cultures, although differences are observed in predictive power. These findings highlight the importance of considering the particularities of the cultural context in the study and intervention of well-being in university students.