Does the association between self-focus and life satisfaction depend on the levels of perceived societal injustice?

Previous research has shown that caring for others and prosociality are positively related to well-being, but cultural differences in the strength of the relationship between prosociality and well-being have been largely overlooked. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the relationship between self-focus (i.e., the attitude that one should care more about oneself than about others) and life satisfaction depends on perceived societal injustice. To probe this further, this study used Bayesian multilevel modeling and a sample of 121,207 individuals from 116 countries. Self-focus was positively associated with life satisfaction in societies perceived as unjust by their residents, whereas it was negatively associated with life satisfaction in societies with low levels of perceived societal injustice. Self-focus may protect individuals to some extent from injustice and exploitation in an unjust environment.