Cross-Cultural Psychology. Lecture 7. Culture and Emotion. Cross

Cross-Cultural Psychology. Lecture 7. Culture and Emotion. Cross cultural research on the emotions. The Universality of Facial Expressions of Emotion. Cultural differences in expression and perception. The role of display rules in managing emotional expressions.

Emotions: Special events in our life Primary motivators Give life meaning and color Central to understanding of human behavior

Research : Universalist or Relativist? For almost 100 years scientists remained unconvinced, arguing whether facial expressions are indeed universal and pancultural, as Darwin suggested, or whether they are specific to each culture, like a language. ------------------------------------------------------- Until early the 1970’s the prevalent new in psychology was that facial expressions are culture-specific, that no two cultures expressed emotions in the same way (relativist view) -------------------------------------------------------- Research from past 30 years, however, has provided evidence for both universal and culture-specific aspects of the expression and perception of emotion.

Universality of facial expression. (Ekman, Izard, Friesen, 1969-1971) Studies: (emotion perception) What? – photographs with a full range of facial expressions of emotions; Who? – observers in several cultures; Task - to describe the emotion portrayed Result: high agreement was found across 12 literate cultures 2 preliterate tribes specific emotions attributed to facial expression.

Universality in spontaneous emotional expressions: A study of Japanese and American subjects watching stress-inducing films and neutral films. (with concealed camera recorded their facial expressions) Universality was shown when virtually the same facial responses of disgust, fear, and sadness were emitted by members of both cultures.

Understanding cultural differences in expression and perception. Universal expressions may be modified depending on social circumstances and cultural learning. American-Japanese study (with scientist presences + concealed camera) Japanese Americans Invariably masked Continued to show their negative signs of their emotions with smiles negative feelings.

Existence of Display Rules. Culturally learned rules for managing emotional expressions depending on social circumstances. Japanese have a display rule that dictate the suppression of negative emotion in the presence of people of higher status. Alone: no reason for display rules to modify expressions, thus allowing the display of universal emotion.

Individualism – Collectivism As a key dimension to understanding and predicting cultural differences in emotional expression and display rules.

Self-in-group and Self-out-group Relationships form the most basic distinction for expressing emotion.

Integrating and Differentiating emotions.

Predicted Cultural Differences in Display Rules.

Summary: The Japanese would rate anger, disgust, and sadness (differentiating) in out-group situations more appropriate than Americans. The Japanese would rate happiness (integrating) in in-group situations more appropriate than Americans. American would rate anger, disgust, and sadness in in-groups more appropriate than the Japanese.

Home-assignment. Find some similarities and differences in perception and expression of emotions by Kazakhs and Japanese/Americans. Take some brief notes.