Cultural variations in emotions: a review

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Anthropology
• Cross-cultural studies

Background:

• Existing literature explores cultural variations in emotions.
• A cognitive-process model of emotions is used for interpretation.
• Cross-cultural research identifies both similarities and differences in emotional processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review psychological and anthropological literature on cultural variations in emotions.
• To analyze findings within a cognitive-process framework.
• To identify factors contributing to cross-cultural differences and similarities in emotions.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of psychological and anthropological studies.
• Interpretation of findings using a cognitive-process model of emotions.
• Analysis of emotion phases, appraisal, behavior, and regulation across cultures.

Main Results:

• Cross-cultural differences and similarities exist in each phase of the emotion process.
• Similarities in one phase do not guarantee similarities in others.
• Findings are contingent on the level of description for emotional phenomena.
• Cultural differences stem from event schemas, appraisal propensities, behavior repertoires, or regulation processes.
• Differences in emotion word taxonomies can reflect true emotion differences or categorization bases.

Conclusions:

• Cultural variations in emotions are complex and multifaceted.
• The cognitive-process model provides a useful framework for understanding these variations.
• Understanding cultural differences in emotion requires considering multiple factors and levels of analysis.