On the Inner Workings of the Person–Culture Match Effect on Well-Being

A match between a person and their culture is widely considered a source of well-being. However, why does this “person–culture match effect” (PCME) emerge? This research seeks to elucidate that question on three counts. It reports the first experimental—and, thus, causal—test of the PCME, examines whether match increases well-being only for people who consider their culture central to themselves, and tests whether the PCME occurs only for match with one’s own culture rather than another culture. Across three experiments ( N _total = 1,251), we found initial evidence that person–culture match causes higher well-being, but only for people who consider their culture central to themselves and only if match refers to one’s own culture, not another culture. These findings were more consistent for some indicators of well-being (affect, global well-being) than others (life satisfaction, self-esteem), thereby providing initial insights into the PCME’s underlying mechanisms that opens avenues for future research.