The Cross-Cultural study of Emotional Expression in Japan and the United States : The Non-monolithic Nature of Individualism and Collectivism

In this study 3 hypotheses were tested concerning differences between the expression of emotions in collectivistic and individualistic cultures using samples from Japan and the United States. American participants anticipated feeling more comfortable expressing emotions that affirm independence but participants from Japan anticipated feeling equally comfortable expressing independent and interdependent emotions. Japanese participants anticipated feeling equally comfortable expressing emotions to family members and strangers, whereas Americans anticipated feeling more comfortable expressing emotions to family members than to strangers. Japanese participants anticipated feeling less comfortable expressing negative emotions than American participants. These results are discussed in terms of the limits of a monolithic conception of individualism-collectivism