The Cultural Construction of Emotional Experience and Subjective Well-Being:The Role of Social Situations In Japan and the United States
Location
CSU 204
Start Date
23-4-2007 10:00 AM
End Date
23-4-2007 12:00 PM
Student's Major
Psychology
Student's College
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Mentor's Name
Sarah Sifers
Mentor's Department
Psychology
Mentor's College
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Description
Previous studies indicated that North Americans tend to dominantly experience emotions that are more relevant to non-relational aspects of the self (socially disengaged emotions) while Japanese tend to dominantly experience emotions that are more relevant to relational aspects of the self (socially engaged emotions) and that those categories of emotions divergently relate to subjective well-being for North Americans and Japanese. The role that qualitatively different social situations play in affording culturally divergent emotional experiences and in influencing what constitutes subjective well-being was examined. Japanese and English versions of a questionnaire containing common Japanese and American situations were administered to college students at Minnesota State University, Mankato and Japan. Participants were asked to carefully read each situation and then visualize themselves in those situations. They were then asked how each of these situations will impact their emotional experience and their emotional responses were reported by choosing two emotions from a list of emotions - one specific emotion listed in two categories (socially engaged, socially disengaged) and one general emotion listed in two categories (general positive, general negative). In addition, the level of emotional intensity experienced by the participants for each situation were rated using a Likert scale. It is hypothesized that, regardless of the origin of the participants, Japanese situations will more strongly elicit socially engaged emotions while American situations will more strongly elicit socially disengaged emotions. Additionally, socially disengaged situations will be more strongly tied to American subjective well-being while the socially engaged situations will be more strongly tied to Japanese subjective well-being.
The Cultural Construction of Emotional Experience and Subjective Well-Being:The Role of Social Situations In Japan and the United States
CSU 204
Previous studies indicated that North Americans tend to dominantly experience emotions that are more relevant to non-relational aspects of the self (socially disengaged emotions) while Japanese tend to dominantly experience emotions that are more relevant to relational aspects of the self (socially engaged emotions) and that those categories of emotions divergently relate to subjective well-being for North Americans and Japanese. The role that qualitatively different social situations play in affording culturally divergent emotional experiences and in influencing what constitutes subjective well-being was examined. Japanese and English versions of a questionnaire containing common Japanese and American situations were administered to college students at Minnesota State University, Mankato and Japan. Participants were asked to carefully read each situation and then visualize themselves in those situations. They were then asked how each of these situations will impact their emotional experience and their emotional responses were reported by choosing two emotions from a list of emotions - one specific emotion listed in two categories (socially engaged, socially disengaged) and one general emotion listed in two categories (general positive, general negative). In addition, the level of emotional intensity experienced by the participants for each situation were rated using a Likert scale. It is hypothesized that, regardless of the origin of the participants, Japanese situations will more strongly elicit socially engaged emotions while American situations will more strongly elicit socially disengaged emotions. Additionally, socially disengaged situations will be more strongly tied to American subjective well-being while the socially engaged situations will be more strongly tied to Japanese subjective well-being.
Recommended Citation
Yang, Khou. "The Cultural Construction of Emotional Experience and Subjective Well-Being:The Role of Social Situations In Japan and the United States." Undergraduate Research Symposium, Mankato, MN, April 23, 2007.
https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/urs/2007/oral-session-04/4
