Lesson Module - 8 - Emotion - Part - 2

EMOTION

Cultural Variation in Lexical Emotion Terms

• Cultural Differences in Emotion Terms

  • The emotional lexicon is organized differently across cultures.

  • Unclear how cultural lexicons affect emotional frequency or intensity.

• Diversity of Emotion Terms

  • English: Over 2000 emotion words.

  • Chewong of Malaysia: Only 8 emotion words (e.g., anger, fear, shame).

Categorization of Emotions Across Cultures

• Variability in Emotional Categories

  • Luganda speakers (Uganda): No distinction between sorrow and anger.

  • Gidjingali Aborigines (Australia): Use "Gurakadj" for both shame and fear.

  • Samoans: "Alofa" for both love and pity.

  • Utku Eskimos: Do not differentiate between kindness and gratitude.

  • Infaluk (Micronesia): No word for "emotion"; all internal states lumped together.

Unique Emotion Terms in Other Languages

• Examples of Unique Terms

  • Schadenfreude: German term for pleasure derived from another's misfortune.

  • Amae: Japanese term for feelings of pleasant dependence on another.

Social Construction of Emotions (James Averill)

• Understanding Emotions

  • Emotions are social constructions, not just evolutionary or physiological.

  • Averill's Perspective:

    • "Emotions are defined by their social roles, not just biological components."

Emotional Syndromes

• Components of Emotions

  • Emotions as syndromes comprised of various components:

    • Conscious experiences.

    • Expressive behaviors.

    • Physiological responses.

    • Action tendencies.

  • None of these components is absolutely necessary for a given emotion.

Coherence of Emotional Components

• Social Role Influence

  • Emotions coherence is influenced by cultural social roles.

  • The appropriate way to emote varies in Honor vs. Non-Honor cultures.

    • Honor Cultures: Expected to show anger in response to insults.

    • Non-Honor Cultures: Expected to laugh off insults.

Anger in Different Cultures

• Honor Culture

  • Components of the anger syndrome:

    • Conscious Experience: Negative affect, anger, tension.

    • Bodily Responses: Increased heart rate, adrenaline release.

    • Motivations: Physical retaliation (punch, kick).

    • Expressive Behaviors: Facial expressions of anger.

• Non-Honor Culture

  • Components of the anger syndrome:

    • Conscious Experience: Tension, sadness, empathetic thoughts.

    • Bodily Responses: Slight increase in arousal.

    • Motivations: Apologizing, showing deference.

    • Expressive Behaviors: Smiling face, polite gestures.

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Cultural Influence on Insults (Nisbett Study)

• Culture of Honor:

  • Insults must be addressed to protect one’s honor.

  • Differences in physiological responses (cortisol/testosterone) between Northerners (who find insults amusing) and Southerners (who react with anger).

Functions of Emotions

• Interpersonal Relationship Regulation

  • Emotions help navigate and regulate interpersonal relationships.

  • Anger not just a personal emotion but also a means of societal regulation.

Collectivist vs. Individualist Emotions

• Interdependent vs. Independent Cultures

  • Collectivists experience emotions that are interpersonally engaging.

  • Individualists experience emotions that are interpersonally disengaging.

Dutch and Turks Emotionality Study

• Study Objective: Assess emotional responses in individualist (Dutch) vs. collectivist (Turkish) cultures.

• Findings: Collectivists are more focused on social worth; individualists on personal worth.

Key Differences in Emotions

• Emotional Concerns

  • Collectivist: Focus on social standing and group dynamics.

  • Individualist: Focus on personal goals and individual feelings.

Research on Subjective Well-Being

• Cultural Influences:

  • Scandinavian countries often report high happiness levels.

  • Former Soviet republics show lower happiness levels.

Happiness in Different Cultures

• Wealth and Well-being

  • Wealthier countries and individuals tend to report higher happiness.

  • Human rights and democracy contribute to higher subjective well-being.

Normative Beliefs and Life Satisfaction

• Emotionality vs Norms

  • Individualistic cultures prioritize private feelings for life satisfaction.

  • Collectivistic cultures balance emotions with cultural norms.

Implicit Theories of Life Satisfaction

• Cultural Perspectives

  • Individualists often feel seeking positive feelings leads to happiness.

  • Collectivists may find value in experiencing both positive and negative feelings.

Cultural Preferences in Activities

• Fun vs. Utility

  • Western cultures often prioritize fun activities.

  • Eastern cultures may focus on the utility of activities.

Conclusion on Ideal Affect

• Arousal Preferences

  • Westerners seek high-arousal positive emotions.

  • Easterners prefer low-arousal positive emotions.