The Relationship Between Fatalistic Beliefs and Well-being Depends on Personal and National Religiosity: A Study in 34 Countries

Modern social science suggests that fatalistic beliefs are generally detrimental to mental well-being because these beliefs reflect a lack of perceived efficacy and control. However, many religions downplay the role of personal agency and emphasize the importance of external factors that determine people's lives (e.g., God's will and fate). Thus, individual and cross-cultural differences in the links between fatalism and well-being are to be expected. Using a sample of 38,426 individuals from 34 countries and Bayesian multilevel modeling, this study shows that personal and national religiosity moderate the relationship between fatalism and life satisfaction. Whereas fatalism is negatively associated with life satisfaction in more secular countries and among less religious individuals, it is unrelated to life satisfaction in more religious countries and among highly religious individuals.