Plaut, Markus, Treadway, & Fu (2012). The cultural construct of self and well-being: A tale of two cities.

It is possible that location (i.e. city) is relevant for the self and well-being because local contexts have different ecologies and histories and vary in their often subtle and implicit cultural understanding of how to be and how to be well.

In individualistic settings, well-being is correlated with self-esteem, positive affect and happiness.

People from Boston are more likely to perceive clear norms in their area than people from San Francisco. Boston displays more contingency than San Francisco. The self is less bound by a concern with status and established social norms in San Francisco.

The Boston culture cycle reflected and promoted greater attention to the old and established and revealed a high degree of social contingency. The San Francisco culture cycle reflected and promoted greater attention to the new and free and less social contingency.

Boston suggests a history of emphasizing tradition, status and community. People in Boston have a sense of self-satisfaction contingent on education, finances, work, family and community, a more contingent self-worth, more attention to fitting in with others and support of regulation by establishment.

In Boston, there is more contingent self-evaluation, more contingent self-worth and feeling good tied to relief from contingency. In San Francisco, there is less contingent self-evaluation, less contingent self-worth and feeling good tied to own positive experience.