Cultural and Social Influences

Biology and culture influence emotions. Different studies on the relationship between
cultures and feelings show that emotions are culture-specific. Each culture has a specific
standard that governs how emotions are displayed, the types of emotions displayed, and the
acceptable frequencies. Some scripts specific to cultures dictate how emotions, whether positive
or negative, should be experienced and displayed. There are also disparities in how different
cultures expect men and women to experience and display emotions, especially when in public.
For purposes of this assignment, I interviewed a Japanese and an African and compared how the
different cultures influence the way people experience and display emotions.
Culture may shape scripts for social behavior, thus giving rise to different logics for
nonverbal behavior and the perception among members (Krys et al., 2016). In the United States,
people smile as a mark of respect, especially when greeting people whether they are familiar or
not. In Russia, however, it is unlikely for people to smile at a stranger because it is considered
stupid. There is a common Russian proverb that states, “Smiling for no reason is a sign of
stupidity” (Krys et al., 2016). From the Russian that I interviewed, it was evident that Russians
do not smile at strangers. In the African culture, when one smiles, it is a sign of happiness. It is
uncommon for people to smile at strangers because smiles signify that people are establishing a
relationship and that they are on friendly terms. Thus, smiles are largely diverse, and they are
perceived differently among different people depending on the culture.
Further, different cultures hold different expectations on how members should regulate
their emotions. Emotions are powerful internal experiences that can potentially disrupt social
harmony as well as assert a person’s individuality (Ford & Mauss, 2015). Thus, there are cultures

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that are emotionally expressive such as the American culture, and then there are others such as
the Africana and Russian cultures, which insist on the regulation of emotions. The cultural script
in Africa and Russia motivates people to regulate and control the extent to which they express
their emotions, especially in public. In such cultures, the general perception of controlling
emotions is by not exhibiting them. Studies show that persons from emotionally non-expressive
cultures such as those with Asian backgrounds are more likely to suppress their emotions
compared to those from emotionally expressive cultures such as the West. This was evident
during the interview as Africans and Russian are more likely to suppress their emotions and not
display them on their faces even though they feel them internally.
Emotions are universal and culture-specific as well. in some cultures, emotions are also
regarded as gender-specific. As much as emotions are central to human experiences, the value
placed on them, as well as the social norms that guide how they are expressed and experienced,
differ across different cultures (Davis et al., 2012). There are cultures that value and uphold low-
arousal positive emotions, such as Russians and some parts of Africa. They prefer feeling calm
and controlling the extent that they express their emotions. Other cultures uphold high-arousal
positive emotions, and this includes feeling excited and showing that one is happy.
Gender, too, affects how emotions are experienced and expressed. Studies show that
women are generally more expressed of emotions than men across different cultures (Davis et
al., 2012). In the interview, the African participant was female. She said that in her culture,
women could cry even publicly, but it is unusual for men to cry, and when this happens, it is
indicative of weakness. Thus, men chose to suppress their emotions of anger or related to
mourning, especially when in public, as expressing them through crying is a show of weakness.
Although studies have not explored the combined effects of gender and culture on emotions,

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some cultures dictate how the different genders should regulate and express emotions. In the
West, especially the American culture, emotions are freely expressed, both sad and happy
emotions.
Emotions are largely regulated within the brain structures. Studies have been conducted
to explain whether there are structural differences in brains between cultures hence the
differences in emotions. Existing literature shows that prolonged exposure to cultural practices
and values could shape neural structures. Cultures that focus on independent thinking, problem-
solving, and reasoning are more likely to have individuals whose frontal areas of the brain, such
as cortical, show greater thickness (Park & Huang, 2010). On the other hand, cultures that place
more emphasis on rote memory and following laid down rules and regulations are more likely to
have reduced thickness in frontal areas of the brain (Park & Huang, 2010). The differences in the
brain structures are not directly related to emotions but rather to other functions of the brain,
such as memory and reasoning. However, such brain differences affect a person’s ability to
process complex visual stimuli, for example, to differentiate between fear and disgust when
displayed. Cultures that focus on rote memory, such as in the East, will face difficulties
translating facial expressions. However, Westerners are more likely to accurately translate facial
expressions because their brain structures are wired differently (Park & Huang, 2010). they are
also more exposed to and accustomed to openly expressing emotions.
Evidently, emotions are the primary motivators of behavior. Different cultures create
norms on how people should display and regulate emotions as a way of regulating behavior and
facilitating social coordination (Matsumoto & Hwang, 2012). Given the connection between
emotions and behavior, cultures use norms to regulate behavior and ensure that they follow
accepted and prescribed scripts. The aim is to reduce social chaos and increase social

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coordination. Cultures thus regulate the intensity of emotional experiences and the extent to
which emotions are expressed. Due to differences in cultures, there are cultural emotions that are
unique to specific cultures and require cultural knowledge to elicit and comprehend (Matsumoto
& Hwang, 2012). Cultures also create emotional meanings that are unique to human cultures and
that require higher-level cognitive skills.
Overall, there is a complex relationship between culture and emotions. Human emotions
are universal and are biologically innate. However, human emotions are also culture-specific.
Different cultures have different and ways of regulating emotions, and the norms also vary.
Individuals learn from their cultural experiences how to react after certain emotions have been
elicited and the range of acceptable behavior when expressing one’s emotions. As such, there are
culturally driven emotions. As much as emotions are biological and neurological processes, a
person’s immediate culture has a direct impact on their perception, display, and experience of
emotions.

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References

Davis, E., Greenberger, E., Charles, S., Chen, C., Zhao, L., & Dong, Q. (2012). Emotion
experience and regulation in China and the United States: How do culture and gender
shape emotion responding? International Journal of Psychology, 47(3), 230–239.
https://doi-org.proxy1.ncu.edu/10.1080/00207594.2011.626043
Ford, B. Q., & Mauss, I. B. (2015, June). Culture and emotion regulation. Current Opinion in
Psychology, 3, 1-5.
Krys, K., Vauclair, C. M., Capaldi, C. A., Lun, V. M. C., Bond, M. H., Domínguez-Espinosa, A.,
… & Yu, A. A. (2016). Be careful where you smile: Culture shapes judgments of
intelligence and honesty of smiling individuals. Journal of nonverbal behavior, 40(2),
101-116.
Matsumoto, D., & Hwang, H. S. (2012). Culture and emotion: The integration of biological and
cultural contributions. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 43(1), 91-118.
Park, D. C., & Huang, C. M. (2010). Culture wires the brain: A cognitive neuroscience
perspective. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5(4), 391-400.