Introduction

The Easterlin Paradox (Easterlin, 1974), which suggests increasing income does not necessarily lead to a greater happiness level beyond a certain threshold, has sparked a worldwide interest in understanding factors that contribute to national wellbeing across different countries. Among these potential contributors, cultural participation emerges as a promising avenue for promoting wellbeing both at the individual and societal levels. For instance, in China, the government has prioritized high-quality cultural provisions as a key policy focus, in response to the shift in societal aspirations from fulfilling material demands to pursuing higher-order spiritual and cultural enrichment (Courty and Zhang, 2018; He and Wang, 2024). According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2012 p.51), cultural participation refers to meaningful engagement in any activity that increases an individual’s cultural and informational capacity and capital, allows for personal expression, and contributes to identity formation. In this research, we use the term “cultural participation” to refer to passive (e.g., attending exhibitions and performances), active (e.g., performing, rehearsing, crafting), and hybrid (e.g., immersive theater and interactive art exhibitions) forms of engagement in artistic cultural activities that specifically take place in offline physical spaces.

Ample evidence has highlighted the positive effects of cultural participation on both individual and societal wellbeing. For instance, engaging in cultural activities such as attending concerts, visiting museums, and participating in creative pursuits has been found to be associated with increased life satisfaction (Wheatley and Bickerton, 2017; Lee et al. 2021), better health condition (Grossi et al. 2012; Sheppard and Broughton, 2020), reduced levels of anxiety and depression (Cuypers et al. 2012; Deveney and Lawson, 2021) and enhanced social bonding (Fancourt and Finn, 2019; Stickley et al. 2018). Moreover, cultural participation has been shown to foster a sense of meaning and purpose, as well as promote personal growth and self-discovery (Lee et al. 2021). More recently, neuroscientific evidence has revealed that engagement with arts and culture can lead to neurological activities related to emotional regulation and stress reduction (Martin et al. 2018; Han et al. 2024; Zaatar et al. 2024).

Despite the large body of evidence for the psychological benefits of artistic and cultural engagement, knowledge gaps remain in understanding the specific mechanisms through which cultural participation promotes wellbeing. One promising approach to exploring this topic is by adopting theoretical lenses from positive psychology, a subfield of psychology that seeks to understand and promote factors with positive implications for wellbeing (Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi, 2000).

A seminal piece of work arising from positive psychology is the VIA (values in action) hierarchical classification of virtues and character strengths (Peterson and Seligman, 2004). Character strengths refer to positive traits that reflect an individual’s virtues and values with cross-situational consistency and stability (Peterson and Seligman, 2004). Research indicates that individuals who are aware of their character strengths and actively cultivate them through various beneficial activities tend to experience greater well-being and life satisfaction (Park et al. 2004) and have lower risks for depression and stress (Niemiec, 2023). While other frameworks, such as broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions (Fredrickson, 2001) or self-determination theory (Ryan and Deci, 2000), are also potentially relevant, the VIA framework offers a comprehensive lens and fruitful approach to examine the personal qualities fostered by cultural participation.

According to the VIA framework (Peterson and Seligman, 2004), there are 24 character strengths grouped under six broad virtues, namely wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence. Among these, the virtue of transcendence denotes the capacity to expand beyond oneself to connect with something larger and more meaningful (Reed and Aquino, 2003; Reed, 1991). It encompasses character strengths that are particularly relevant to the context of artistic cultural participation, such as the traits appreciation of beauty (AoB), gratitude, hope, and spirituality. While it is intuitive to assume that engaging in diverse cultural activities may foster individual’s sensitivity to the beautiful, positive, and uplifting aspects of life and ultimately promotes wellbeing, empirical evidence supporting this mechanism is scarce. Therefore, this study aims to contribute to the literature by quantitatively examining the mediating role of transcendence-related character strengths in the relationship between cultural participation and individual well-being.

By adopting theoretical constructs from positive psychology, this study does not only deepens our theoretical understanding of the mechanisms linking cultural engagement to enhanced wellbeing, but also inform the design of more focused interventions and programs that specifically enhance and amplify these mechanisms, thereby maximizing the benefits of cultural participation. Moreover, by situating the study in China, a country where promoting public access to cultural activities is emphasized as part of its modernization agenda to resolve the Easterlin Paradox, this research provides a unique opportunity to understand how cultural participation interplays with both universal and culturally specific psychological mechanisms to shape wellbeing in a rapidly modernizing society.

Theoretical background and hypotheses development

Appreciation of Beauty (AoB), is a character strength that involves the capacity to find, recognize, and take pleasure in the goodness existent in the physical and social worlds (Haidt, 2003). Research has demonstrated that trait AoB has favorable associations with levels of life satisfaction (Diessner et al. 2008) and psychological wellbeing (Diessner et al. 2018; Mattheiss and Herrmann, 2024). Engagement in cultural and artistic activities can foster individuals’ artistic imagination (Totterdell and Poerio, 2021) and sensitivity to beauty (Büssing et al. 2014), leading to better wellbeing-related outcomes. Moreover, there is empirical evidence that engaging with beauty in cultural contexts, such as attending concerts and visiting galleries, can enrich one’s esthetic experience over time and cultivate a deeper appreciation for the diversity of beauty present in both natural and human-made forms (Tay et al. 2018). Therefore, the following hypotheses are proposed:

H1: Trait AoB has positive associations with cultural participation (a) and individual wellbeing (b).

H1c: Cultural participation has a positive association with individual wellbeing.

Gratitude comprises two primary components: the acknowledgment of positive aspects within one’s own life and the recognition that these positive aspects stem from sources external to the self. According to research (Stellar et al. 2017), the appreciation of beauty and excellence frequently engenders feelings of gratitude in individuals. This sentiment of gratitude, in turn, is associated with heightened levels of altruism and enhanced subjective well-being (Park et al. 2004). Indeed, the appreciation of natural beauty has been identified as a significant predictor of gratitude (Diessner et al. 2008), as exposure to and appreciation of beauty can elicit emotions such as wonder and awe, and consequently thankfulness for the beauty and richness of human experiences (Mastandrea et al. 2019; Lucht and van Schie, 2024). Although there is limited empirical evidence for the development of trait gratitude in appreciation of beauty in cultural contexts, given the similarity of esthetic experiences shared across natural and cultural contexts, we believe the same association should hold true in the cultural context. The following hypothesis is formulated:

H2: Trait gratitude has positive associations with AoB (a) and individual wellbeing (b).

Hope refers to one’s tendency to believe in his or her own ability to produce pathways towards desired goals and to motivate oneself to use those pathways (Snyder et al. 1997). According to Snyder, hope consists of two interrelated cognitive components: agency thinking, which involves the perceived capacity to initiate and sustain actions towards goals, and pathways thinking, which refers to the perceived ability to generate viable routes to achieve those goals; both components have been shown to improve individuals’ stress-coping skills, promote personal growth, and boost physical and mental health (Park, 2004; Tong et al. 2025). Moreover, empirical studies have shown that trait gratitude can predict levels of hope (Witvliet et al. 2019), with hope frequently acting as a mediator in the relationship between gratitude and psychological wellbeing (Feng and Yin, 2021). Therefore, the subsequent hypotheses are posited.

H3: Trait hope has a positive association with trait gratitude (a), trait AoB(b) and individual wellbeing (c).

Spirituality is a character strength that involves the search for or connection with “the sacred”, which might be pursued via the search for a purpose in life or as a close relationship with something greater than oneself (Miner and Dowson, 2016). There is evidence that engagement with creative arts can evoke spirituality through heightened interconnectedness with the self, others, and the outer world (Keisari et al. 2023). Research also indicates a positive association between trait gratitude and spirituality (Li and Chow, 2015). Moreover, trait spirituality has been shown to mediate the relationship between gratitude and life satisfaction (Perez et al. 2021) and that between hope and mental health (Marques et al. 2013; DiPierro et al. 2018).

It is worth noting that the concept of spirituality within a specific culture can be shaped by various religious doctrines and practices. For instance, the concept of “nonattachment” that is deeply rooted in the teachings of Buddhism, can be seen as a manifestation of spirituality within the contemporary Chinese cultural context. Defined as the “subjective quality of not being stuck or fixated on ideas, images, or sensory objects and not feeling an internal pressure to acquire, hold, avoid, or change” (Sahdra et al. 2010), nonattachment reflects the Buddhist ethos of “letting go”, which has offered a resonant method for achieving spiritual wellbeing amid the tensions between rapid modernization and existential quest among Chinese youths. Therefore, we adopt “nonattachment” as a culturally relevant operational measure for spirituality in this research and hypothesize that:

H4: Nonattachment has a positive association with trait hope (a), trait gratitude (b), trait AoB(c), and wellbeing (d).

Putting it altogether, we propose a serial mediation model (Fig. 1) with the following hypothesis:

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
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Proposed model.

H5: The effect of cultural participation on individual wellbeing is serially mediated by trait AoB (a), trait gratitude (b), trait hope (c), and nonattachment (d).

Moreover, three research questions are proposed to probe whether there is any direct effect of cultural participation (RQ1) and trait AoB (RQ2) on individual wellbeing that is not yet accounted for by the constructs included in the current model, and whether the three forms of cultural participation affect individual wellbeing differently (RQ3).

Materials and Methods

Study design

We conducted a cross-sectional survey and used the panel service of Tencent Survey to recruit respondents aged 14–35 years old, aligning with the defined age range for youth according to the China Youth Development Plan (The State Council of the People’s Republic of China, 2017). A web-based survey with self-report measures of the main variables was created on the Tencent Survey platform. An informed consent form was attached to the questionnaire as the introduction page. Participants indicated their consent to participate in the survey by pressing the “agree” button, which directed them to the questionnaire. Upon completing the survey, respondents of manually approved responses received a random compensation between 2 and 5 RMB through WeChat Hongbao function.

Overall, a total of 1636 questionnaires were collected. After manually removing responses with a completion time of less than one minute, and those that failed the attention check, 1516 valid questionnaires were obtained (mean age = 24.57 years old, SD = 4.448). Demographics of the sample are summarized in Table 1.

Table 1 Demographics of the sample (n = 1516).
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Measures

In addition to demographic information, the survey collected data regarding the following variables.

Individual wellbeing

Individual wellbeing was measured using 9 items from the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (Keyes, 2006), which has been applied and validated across different cultures (e.g., United States (Gallagher et al. 2009), Netherlands (Lamers et al. 2011), South Africa (Westerhof and Keyes, 2010). We adopted the validated Chinese version (Ke, 2012). The original scale consists of 14 items that loaded on three dimensions, namely emotional wellbeing (e.g., “happy”, “joyful”), psychological wellbeing (e.g., “you like most aspects of your personality”), and social wellbeing (e.g., “our society is becoming better”). We adopted the 9 items that loaded on the dimensions of emotional and psychological wellbeing to measure “individual wellbeing”. Participants were asked to rate how often they experienced the stated feelings in the past month on a 6-point Likert scale (1-never, 2-once or twice a month, 3-about once a week, 4-two or three times a week, 5-almost every day, 6-every day). The Cronbach’s α in this study was 0.937.

Cultural participation

We grouped cultural activities into three broad categories that collectively captured a spectrum of cultural participation ranging from passive forms of engagement (e.g., attending exhibitions and performances), through hybrid forms (e.g., immersive and interactive arts), to active forms of cultural creation (e.g., performing, rehearsing, crafting). We adapted phrases and labels used in previous survey studies (National Endowment for the Arts and United States Bureau of the Census, 2019) that retrospectively assessed cultural participation in the past 12 months on a 6-point Likert scale (1-never; 2-once or twice; 3-at least three or four times, but not every month; 4-almost every month, but not every week; 5-almost every week; 6-several times a week). The Cronbach’s α was 0.825.

Trait AoB, gratitude, and hope

The “transcendence” subscales of VIA Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS) (Peterson and Seligman, 2004) were used to measure these character strengths, including 5 items for assessing AoB (e.g., “When I see beautiful things, I have intense emotional experiences”), and 4 items for trait hope (e.g., “I can always find a positive side in things that others consider negative”) and 4 items for trait gratitude (e.g., “I am a very grateful person.”). Participants rated agreement with these statements on a 5-point Likert scale (1- not at all like me, 5-very much like me). The Cronbach’s αs were 0.848, 0.848, and 0.827, respectively.

Nonattachment

For spirituality, we employed the 8-item Short Form Nonattachment Scale (SFNS) (Sahdra et al. 2010), which was validated in a Chinese sample (Chio et al. 2017). As we mentioned above, this was used instead of the spirituality subscale of the VIA-IS, because the concept of nonattachment, derived from Buddhism, represents a form of spirituality that is more relevant to Chinese cultural contexts (example item: “I can accept the flow of events in my life without hanging onto to them or pushing them away”). Items were rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1- not at all like me, 5-very much like me). The Cronbach’s α was 0.875.

Data analysis

A structural equation modeling (SEM) approach was adopted for data analysis. Following a two-step procedure (Gerbing and Anderson, 1984), we first performed confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to establish the measurement model for the latent variables; we then estimated structural models to test the hypotheses and answer research questions. Models were estimated based on the maximum likelihood method. A model was considered to have a good fit if the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) was 0.06 or less, incremental fit indices (IFI) was 0.90 or greater, the comparative fit index (CFI) was 0.9 or greater, parsimonious fit indices were 0.50 or greater (Browne and Cudeck, 1992; Hu and Bentler, 1999) and χ2/df was 5 or lower (Schreiber, 2017). Modification indices were examined to identify parameters that would improve fit; the addition of such parameters had to be theoretically justifiable (Acock, 2013). To further compare the direct and indirect associations between variables, 95% confidence intervals for direct and indirect, and total effects were calculated based on 5000 bootstrap samples using the percentile method. All analyses were conducted in AMOS 24.0 (Arbuckle, 2016).

Results

Common method variance

The Harman’s single-factor test was used to assess the common method variance bias. The results showed that the variance accounted for by the first factor without rotation was 44.03%, below the threshold of 50%, suggesting that common method bias was not a significant concern in this dataset (Podsakoff et al. 2003).

Measurement model

The resulting measurement model, depicted in Fig. 2, showed satisfactory fit (Table 2), allowing for further testing of the reliability and validity of individual variables. As shown in Table 3, all Composite Reliability (CR) values exceeded the threshold of 0.7, indicating strong internal consistency; all Average Variance Extracted (AVE) values surpassed 0.5, demonstrating adequate convergent validity. Furthermore, the standardized factor loadings for all items on the latent variables were statistically significant (p < 0.001) and above 0.5, reinforcing the robustness of the measurement model. In terms of discriminant validity, comparisons of the square roots of AVE values (diagonal values in Table 4) with inter-construct correlations (off-diagonal values) confirmed that all latent variables were adequately distinct from each other. These results support the construct validity of the scales used within the model.

Fig. 2
Fig. 2
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Measurement Model.

Table 2 Fit indices of the measurement model.
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Table 3 Confirmatory factor analysis results.
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Table 4 The correlation coefficients and discriminant validity of latent variables.
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Hypothesis testing

To test H1-H4, we estimated the structural model, with gender, age, education and income level entered as covariates. Only gender had a significant effect on the dependent variable (B = −0.069, p = 0.011); none of the other demographic variables were significant (p > 0.05) and were therefore removed for parsimony of the structural model. The resulting model demonstrated good fit to the data, as summarized in Table 5.

Table 5 Fit indices of the structural model.
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As shown in Fig. 3, trait AoB was significantly predicted by cultural participation (B = 0.309, p < 0.001) and had a significant total effect on individual wellbeing (B = 0.735, p < 0.001), lending support to H1a and H1b, respectively. Cultural participation had a significant total effect on individual wellbeing (B = 0.258, p < 0.001), supporting H1c. Trait AoB (B = 0.553, p < 0.001) significantly predicted trait gratitude, which in turn significantly predicted individual wellbeing (B = 0.593, p < 0.001), supporting H2a and H2b, respectively. Both trait gratitude (B = 1.136, p < 0.001) and trait AoB (B = 0.144, p < 0.001) had direct associations with trait hope, which, however, had no direct association with wellbeing (B = 0.145, p = 0.144). Therefore, H3a and H3b were supported, while H3c was rejected. Finally, both trait hope (B = 0.429, p < 0.001) and trait gratitude (B = 0.319, p = 0.004), but not trait AoB (B = 0.013, p = 0.656), had direct associations with nonattachment, which, in turn, predicted individual wellbeing (B = 0.608, p < 0.001), supporting H4a, H4b and H4d, rejecting H4c. The five constructs in the model, together with gender, explained 79.2% variance of wellbeing (R2 = 0.792), lending further support to H1c.

Fig. 3: Resulting model with unstandardized path coefficients for direct effects and bootstrap regression coefficients based on 5000 bootstrap samples for total effects.
Fig. 3: Resulting model with unstandardized path coefficients for direct effects and bootstrap regression coefficients based on 5000 bootstrap samples for total effects.
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Dashed lines represented paths that were not statistically significant (n.s). Gender was dummy coded (female = 0; male = 1). n.s. p > 0.05, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.

As for RQ1 and RQ2, neither cultural participation (B = 0.031, p = 0.115) nor trait AoB (B = −0.021, p = 0.530) yielded a statistically significant direct effect on individual wellbeing. This suggested the plausibility of a full mediation model, where the relationship between cultural participation and individual wellbeing was fully mediated by transcendent character strengths. This was further confirmed by the bootstrap output in AMOS based on 5000 bootstrap samples. As shown in Table 6, the 95% confidence interval for the direct effect of cultural participation on individual wellbeing straddled zero (bootB = 0.031, boot CI = [−0.012, 0.073]), whereas that for the indirect effect was entirely above zero (bootB = 0.227, boot CI = [0.164, 0.293]). Similarly, the 95% confidence interval for the direct effect of trait AoB on individual wellbeing straddled zero (bootB = −0.021, boot CI = [−0.111, 0.062]), whereas that for the indirect effect was entirely above zero (bootB = 0.756, boot CI = [0.653, 0.873]). To explore RQ3, we parsed out the effects of passive, hybrid and active cultural participation on wellbeing by estimating three separate models. As shown in Fig. 4, the effects of hybrid and passive cultural participation on wellbeing were fully mediated, whereas active cultural participation demonstrated a significant direct effect on individual wellbeing (bootβ=0.032, boot CI = [0.007, 0.056]), in addition to its significant indirect effect (bootβ=0.100, boot CI = [0.068, 0.134]).

Table 6 5000 samples bootstrap estimate of key direct and indirect effects.
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Fig. 4: Resulting models for different types of cultural participation with unstandardized path coefficients for direct effects and bootstrap regression coefficients based on 5000 bootstrap samples for total effects.
Fig. 4: Resulting models for different types of cultural participation with unstandardized path coefficients for direct effects and bootstrap regression coefficients based on 5000 bootstrap samples for total effects.
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a The Path model for passive participation. b The Path model for hybrid participation. c The Path model for active participation. Dashed lines represented paths that were not statistically significant (n.s). Gender was dummy coded (female = 0; male = 1). n.s. p > 0.05; *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001.

Discussion and Conclusion

Over the past few decades, research on cultural participation has gained significant momentum, with growing attention to both its measurement (Schuster, 2007) and impacts on individual wellbeing (Stuckey and Nobel, 2010; Murtin and Zanobetti, 2024). However, there is a lack of theoretically informed studies on the mechanisms translating cultural participation to wellbeing benefits, particularly within non-Western populations. To address this key gap, the present research applies the transcendent character strengths from the VIA framework to develop and empirically test a mediation model, using data from a sample of Chinese youths. In the following sections, we discuss the main theoretical contributions of our findings (5.1 Theoretical Contributions) and highlight their practical and policy implications for both the mental health and cultural sectors (5.2 Practical Implications).

Theoretical contributions

First, consistent with prior seminal findings on this topic (Cuypers et al. 2012; Fancourt and Steptoe, 2018; Grossi et al. 2012), our results confirm a positive relationship between cultural participation and individual wellbeing. While this association is robustly tested in Western populations (e.g., Norwegian (Cuypers et al. 2012); English (Fancourt and Steptoe, 2018); Swedish (Konlaan et al. 2000); Italian (Grossi et al. 2012)), Chinese, and more broadly East Asian, populations are typically underrepresented in this literature (Lee et al. 2021). Our study addresses this gap by demonstrating that the favorable association between cultural participation and wellbeing extends to Chinese youth, thereby broadening the cross-cultural validity of these findings.

Second, our study goes beyond manifesting the association by clarifying the underlying psychological pathways through which cultural participation promotes wellbeing. While existing work has qualitatively explored the transformative potential of arts engagement (Sapouna and Pamer, 2014; Perkins et al. 2020) and shed light onto possible mediators such improved interpersonal relationships (Lee et al. 2021), our study, to our knowledge, provides the first quantitative evidence for a theoretically informed mediation model between cultural participation and wellbeing anchored in the VIA framework (Peterson and Seligman, 2004).

Third, our research extends the VIA framework with “nonattachment” – a secularized Buddhist concept – as a culturally resonant operationalization of the “spirituality” strength. This is particularly relevant to the context of contemporary China, where young people and emerging adults navigate through rapid social changes and face significant psychological strains from increasing living costs, growing competition for educational and career opportunities, and shifting family structures (Linyan and Boqing, 2023). Importantly, the concept of nonattachment in our study should not be confused with the “lying flat” (tangping) culture prevalent among young Chinese, characterized by a disengaged approach to life responsibilities and goals (Zhang and Li, 2023). Unlike the disengaged “lying flat” mindset, nonattachment promotes active engagement with the present moment, through “a flexible, balanced way for relating to one’s experience without clinging to or suppressing them” (Ho et al. 2022). Its role as the final mediator in our model suggests the wellbeing benefits of cultural participation are realized through a cascade of positive traits, culminating in the cultivation of nonattachment – a strength instrumental in coping with challenges in contemporary China.

Last but not least, our study reveals different pathways via which active, passive, and hybrid forms of cultural participation contribute to wellbeing. This must be interpreted within China’s unique cultural-technological contexts. For instance, the hybrid forms of cultural experiences – epitomized by the “Wandering in Dunhuang” virtual reality and “Meet Dunhuang” projection mapping exhibitions – have proliferated under national policies promoting cultural-technological integration (Zhao, 2025). Those emerging cultural experiences cater to the visually oriented and technologically savvy preferences of Chinese Generation Z. Yet our analysis demonstrates their pathways to wellbeing resemble that of traditional passive art appreciation – both start with sensory appreciation of beauty, progress to thankfulness and hopefulness for everyday blessings, and culminate in nonattachment. This suggests hybrid forms of cultural participation, which blend digital accessibility with cultural heritage, may represent a more accessible and pragmatic way for youths to engage with and benefit from the beauty of cultural heritage in fast-paced societies.

Practical implications

Building upon our findings, we now consider the implications of our research for both the mental health and cultural sectors.

First, our research provides empirical support for integrating cultural participation into community wellness initiatives and preventive mental health services in China. Despite numerous calls for utilizing public culture and arts to improve societal wellbeing (Camic and Chatterjee, 2013), empirical evidence drawing on Chinese samples has been scarce (Xia et al. 2024). Given the demonstrated link between cultural engagement and wellbeing in this study, policymakers should prioritize funding allocation to arts and cultural programs aimed to promote wellbeing.

Second, these programs should be designed to foster transcendent character strengths, as our study has found them to be the key mechanisms driving the psychological benefits of cultural participation. The sequence in which these character strengths mediate the relationship can also be informative. As AoB is the transcendent trait most proximal to cultural participation, art therapy sessions should be structured to initially focus on enhancing esthetic sensitivity and gradually progressing towards fostering gratitude, hope, and nonattachment, thereby promoting wellbeing.

Third, our research suggests developing metrics to assess the efficacy of cultural programs beyond mere attendance rates to encompass psychological outcomes, such as long-term cultivation of participants’ character strengths. This strength-focused framework, would align with the growing global shift towards evidence-based cultural policy (Belfiore and Bennett, 2007; Clift, 2012; Shefi et al. 2022), as it prioritizes how programs enhance wellbeing rather than whether participation occurs. Under this framework, cultural programs should be designed, reported, and evaluated through the lens of the targeted character strengths (e.g., trait AoB, gratitude, hope, nonattachment). Such practices will enhance the replicability of evidence, allow for more systematic evaluation of program outcomes, and enable the identification of best practices and areas for improvement over time (Fancourt and Finn, 2019). Such practices are also conducive to facilitating interdisciplinary knowledge exchange and cross-sectoral collaborations towards developing more targeted and sound programs (Daykin et al. 2017).

Limitations and further research

While providing valuable insights, several limitations should be noted in interpreting the findings of this study. First, the cross-sectional design was chosen as the most practical and appropriate approach for this initial study to establish model plausibility, in a topic area where theoretically informed studies are lacking. However, it inevitably limits our ability to infer causality between cultural participation and psychological well-being. Future research employing longitudinal and interventional approaches are preferable to further verify the directionality of these paths.

Second, the reliance on self-report data may potentially produce inaccuracy due to social desirability and recall biases. Future research may integrate objective measures, such as individual cultural expenditure or ticket purchase records, for improved accuracy.

Third, our research focuses specifically on Chinese youths, and the findings should primarily be interpreted within this cultural context. Variations in cultural participation, as well as the interpretation and importance of character strengths, may emerge when the research is conducted in other cultural contexts. A lack of research on the cultural participation of Western samples through the lens of transcendence prohibits such cross-cultural comparison. That said, the four transcendent character strengths examined in our study – trait AoB, gratitude, hope, and nonattachment – are conceptually applicable to broader human experiences. While their prominence or specific expression might vary across cultures, their role as mediators in the relationship between cultural participation and wellbeing is likely of transcultural relevance. Therefore, our study, which uncovers these mechanisms in a Chinese context, serves as a starting point for future cross-cultural studies to explore whether and how diverse cultural settings shape the relationships observed, which would provide a broader perspective on the universality or cultural specificity of the mechanisms identified.

Fourth, our choice to use a professional survey company’s panel service led to a sample that disproportionally represents certain demographics of the target population (i.e., Chinese youths). Specifically, it overrepresents students and younger youths under 24 years old, highly educated individuals, and those from middle- and high-income households in eastern China. Nevertheless, given the focus of this study on the internal relationships between cultural participation and wellbeing – including assessing the wellbeing gains of cultural participation beyond an economic threshold to examine the Easterlin paradox – the concentration on urban, high-income youths is acceptable and even desirable. Indeed, this demographic’s higher engagement in cultural activities has facilitated the discovery of the mechanisms linking cultural participation and wellbeing. Moreover, research suggests that the marginal effects of education, income, and urban (vs. rural) location on cultural participation are smaller in China, compared to Europe or the US, due to the Chinese government’s investment in building cultural infrastructure and promoting equal access to cultural services in recent years (Courty and Zhang, 2018). With that said, future studies should include more diverse populations, such as rural residents, individuals from lower-income households, and different age groups, to enhance the generalizability of the findings.

Finally, the significant unmediated effect of active participation on individual wellbeing suggests alternative mechanisms beyond those identified in this study. One possibility is the social benefits gained through shared experiences of cultural engagement, which are particularly valued in collectivist cultures (Hofstede, 2001; Lu and Gilmour, 2004). As many forms of active participation in China occur in group contexts, it is possible that the sense of belongingness, shared identity, and perceived social support fostered during this process may play a significant role (Lee et al. 2021; Cho, 2024). Therefore, future studies should seek to examine other character strengths (e.g., social intelligence) as alternative mechanisms linking cultural participation to wellbeing.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our study provides empirical evidence that artistic cultural participation contributes to Chinese youths’ wellbeing through the cultivation of transcendent character strengths – these include “nonattachment”, which we introduce as a culturally relevant facet of spirituality. Our findings also reveal how different forms of cultural participation contribute to wellbeing via pathways shaped by China’s unique cultural-technological context. Overall speaking, as individuals become more attuned to the beautiful, positive, and uplifting aspects of life through artistic cultural activities, they also become more appreciative of life’s transient nature and less burdened by the desire to control or change it. These results highlight the need for interdisciplinary partnerships between cultural institutions and mental health organizations to harness the power of cultural engagement in fostering a more fulfilled and resilient society.