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Cultural differences in the relations between expressive flexibility and life satisfaction over time
Jen Ying Zhen Ang1, William Tsai1
1Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, United States.
Frontiers in Psychology
|August 21, 2023
Summary
Expressive flexibility, adjusting emotion displays, was studied across Asian, European, and Latinx Americans. Greater ability to enhance emotions correlated with higher life satisfaction for Asian Americans over time.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cross-cultural psychology
- Emotional regulation
Background:
- Expressive flexibility involves adjusting emotion expressions based on situational demands.
- It is linked to better mental health and social acceptance.
- Cultural differences in emotion display norms and mental health associations warrant investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine expressive flexibility across three cultural groups.
- To investigate associations between expressive flexibility, life satisfaction, and depressive symptoms over time.
Main Methods:
- 276 college students (Asian American, European American, Latinx American) participated.
- Two online surveys were administered during the first and thirteenth weeks of a semester.
- Data analyzed for cultural group differences and ethnicity x enhancement interactions.
Main Results:
- No significant cultural differences in emotion enhancement or suppression abilities were found.
- A significant interaction showed that greater emotion enhancement ability predicted higher life satisfaction over time for Asian Americans.
- This association was not significant for European Americans and Latinx Americans.
Conclusions:
- Cultural group differences in expressive flexibility levels do not fully explain its mental health associations.
- The link between expressive flexibility and life satisfaction varies significantly across ethnic groups, particularly for emotion enhancement among Asian Americans.
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