Close Social Relationships

Place Satisfaction

Why do some people feel at home where they live, and others don’t? Place satisfaction—how content people are with their city or area—is shaped by early experiences. In a global study of 22 countries, those with strong childhood relationships and stable finances were more likely to feel satisfied with where they live today.

Researchers

Victor Counted

Regent University, Psychology

Dorota Maria Weziak-Bialowolska

Kozminski University (Poland), Economics/Sociology

Poland

Richard Cowden

Harvard University, Psychology

South Africa

Byron R. Johnson

Baylor University, Institute for Studies of Religion/Sociology

Tyler VanderWeele

Harvard University, Epidemiology / Biostatistics

The Question:

How do childhood experiences, life circumstances, and cultural context shape how satisfied people feel with where they live—and what can these patterns teach us about building communities that help people feel more at home around the world?