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Cultural Differences in the Hedonic Rewards of Recalling Kindness: Priming Cultural Identity with Language
Lilian J Shin1,2, Seth M Margolis1, Lisa C Walsh1
1Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA USA.
Affective Science
|August 31, 2022
Summary
Individuals with collectivist cultural identities experience greater positive emotions when engaging in prosocial behaviors towards close relationships, unlike those with individualist identities. This highlights the cultural importance of in-group happiness for emotional well-being.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cultural Studies
- Sociology
Background:
- Cultural differences influence happiness prioritization: collectivist cultures focus on in-group happiness, while individualist cultures prioritize personal happiness.
- The emotional experiences of individuals may be more strongly influenced by the well-being of their close social network in collectivist societies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis that the well-being of friends and family contributes more to the emotional experience of individuals with collectivist identities compared to individualist identities.
- To investigate how cultural identity (collectivist vs. individualist) moderates the emotional benefits of prosocial behavior towards close versus distant others.
Main Methods:
- Study 1: Bicultural undergraduates (N=357) from Hong Kong recalled acts of kindness towards close or distant others, primed with either English or Chinese language.
- Study 2: University students in the USA (n=106) and Hong Kong (n=93) recalled acts of kindness towards close or distant others.
Main Results:
- In Study 1, participants primed with Chinese reported significantly improved affect after recalling kindness to close others compared to strangers.
- In Study 2, Hong Kong respondents showed higher positive affect recalling kindness to close others, while US respondents did not.
- These findings indicate that collectivist cultural identities are associated with greater positive emotional experiences from prosocial interactions with close ties.
Conclusions:
- Prosocial interactions with close ties (friends, family) yield greater positive emotional experiences for individuals with collectivist cultural identities.
- Cultural orientation significantly impacts how individuals derive emotional benefits from social interactions, emphasizing the role of in-group focus in collectivist cultures.
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