Who I am depends on how I feel: the role of affect in the expression of culture.
Psychol Sci
; 20(3): 340-6, 2009 Mar.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-19254240
ABSTRACT
We present a novel role of affect in the expression of culture. Four experiments tested whether individuals' affective states moderate the expression of culturally normative cognitions and behaviors. We consistently found that value expressions, self-construals, and behaviors were less consistent with cultural norms when individuals were experiencing positive rather than negative affect. Positive affect allowed individuals to explore novel thoughts and behaviors that departed from cultural constraints, whereas negative affect bound people to cultural norms. As a result, when Westerners experienced positive rather than negative affect, they valued self-expression less, showed a greater preference for objects that reflected conformity, viewed the self in more interdependent terms, and sat closer to other people. East Asians showed the reverse pattern for each of these measures, valuing and expressing individuality and independence more when experiencing positive than when experiencing negative affect. The results suggest that affect serves an important functional purpose of attuning individuals more or less closely to their cultural heritage.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Autoimagem
/
Emoções Manifestas
/
Afeto
/
Cultura
Tipo de estudo:
Observational_studies
Aspecto:
Determinantes_sociais_saude
Limite:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Psychol Sci
Assunto da revista:
PSICOLOGIA
Ano de publicação:
2009
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Canadá