Inferring the Emotions of Friends Versus Strangers

2012 ◽  
Vol 38 (7) ◽  
pp. 933-945 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Ma-Kellams ◽  
Jim Blascovich

Three studies examined cross-cultural differences in empathic accuracy (the ability to correctly infer another’s emotional experience) within the context of different relationships. East–West cultural differences in self-construal were hypothesized to differentiate levels of empathic accuracy across relationship types. In contrast to the independent self prevalent among members of Western cultures, members of Eastern cultures generally view the self as interdependent with those with whom they have a relationship. Easterners, relative to Westerners, are more concerned with the thoughts or feelings of close others and less concerned with the thoughts or feelings of those with whom they have no relational link (i.e., strangers). Across three studies, the authors found that East Asians, compared with European Americans, made more accurate inferences regarding the emotions of close others (i.e., friends), but less accurate inferences regarding the emotions of strangers. Furthermore, individual differences in interdependent self-construal among East Asians predicted the degree of empathic accuracy.

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Rubin

In this study we constructed a scale that measures centrality, social, communal, andinterdependent identifi cation, and investigated the distinction between these four different typesof identifi cation with social groups. The general aim was to examine the psychometric propertiesof the newly designed Centrality, Social, Communal, and Interdependent Identifi cation Scale(CSCIIS) and to investigate whether differences in self-construal, relationship orientation,gender, and culture might predict each type of identifi cation. The results provided initial supportfor the validity and the reliability of the CSCIIS, revealed cross-cultural differences in ingroupidentifi cation, and supported predictions regarding the correlations between particular types ofrelationships orientation and particular types of identifi cation with social groups.


Episteme ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 355-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minsun Kim ◽  
Yuan Yuan

AbstractIn “Normativity and Epistemic Intuitions” (NEI), Weinberg, Nichols and Stich famously argue from empirical data that East Asians and Westerners have different intuitions about Gettier-style cases. We attempted to replicate their study about the Gettier Car Case. Our study used the same methods and case taken verbatim, but sampled an East Asian population 2.5 times greater than NEI's 23 participants. We found no evidence supporting the existence of cross-cultural difference about the intuition concerning the case. Taken together with the failures of both of the existing replication studies (Nagel et al. 2013; Seyedsayamdost 2014), our data provide strong evidence that the purported cross-cultural difference in intuitions about Gettier-style cases does not exist.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenyang Luo ◽  
David Westerman ◽  
Jaime Banks

This study investigated how player-avatar interaction (PAX) and player-avatar relationship (PAR) are associated with spatial presence, social presence, and self-presence in video games, and additionally how the associations differ between Chinese and American players. American and Chinese players were recruited to answer a survey king about these variables. The survey was translated from English to Chinese for the different samples. Regression models and ANOVA analysis were used to analyze data, and the results revealed several significant associations between dimensions of PAX and the three types of presence. Additionally, results indicated that player-avatar relationships characterized by identity play and extension are generally associated with higher level of presence than the other two relationship types. Cultural differences were also found, with American and Chinese players differing in how PAR associated with social presence. Thus, the present study adds more understanding to presence in video game, avatar-moderated gameplay, and cross-cultural differences in video gaming, and suggests avenues for future research. 


Author(s):  
Susan E. Cross ◽  
Ben C. P. Lam

This chapter explores how the cultural framework of dialecticism can be applied in research on romantic relationships. Using cross-cultural data from dating and married individuals, the chapter first examines the predictions that East Asians, as compared to Westerners, are more ambivalent and realistic in their perceptions of their partners, perceive lower similarity with their partners, and are more motivated to adjust and change themselves in the relationship. It then discusses research on cross-cultural differences in emotional experience among couples and relationship cognitions (e.g., the concept of Yuan and focalism). In sum, it is suggested that cross-cultural differences in how individuals think, feel, and act in romantic relationship contexts can be understood through the theoretical perspective of dialecticism. However, more empirical studies are needed to explore the influence of dialectical thinking on relationship development and maintenance across cultural contexts.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Martin ◽  
Jasmine Huang ◽  
Peter Su ◽  
Lori Matuschka ◽  
Marcus Meinzer

Background: Mixed results have been presented regarding cultural differences in perspective taking. Two competing theories have been put forward that suggest interdependent self-construal, as observed in people from East Asian cultural backgrounds, would be associated with either worse perspective taking due to self-other mergence (representational hypothesis) or better perspective taking due to greater attention to others (attentional hypothesis), compared with people from Western countries with more independent self-construal. Research to date has been limited and no study to date has focused on switching perspectives during a task with both egocentric and allocentric demands. Method: A visual perspective taking task requiring responses from both the egocentric and allocentric perspective, across both perspective tracking (line-of-sight judgements) and perspective taking (embodied rotation) tasks, was completed by 126 healthy young adults. Fifty-nine were of Singaporean East Asian cultural background and 67 were Australian Westerners. Results: In the perspective tracking task, East Asians were slower to adopt the allocentric perspective. Both groups displayed an egocentricity bias indexed by an overall cost of switching back to the egocentric perspective on total response times. However, East Asians showed a greater influence from the allocentric perspective when switching back to the egocentric perspective. Both groups were slower when required to stick with the allocentric perspective compared to switch trials. In the perspective taking task, East Asians were slower at adopting the allocentric perspective. Both groups showed a cost of sticking with the allocentric perspective. Conclusion: East Asians take longer to adopt the allocentric perspective in tasks that require switching between perspectives. East Asians are more salient of other perspectives directly after adopting that perspective suggesting a contextually constrained self-other mergence not observed in Westerners. The results support the representational hypothesis of cultural effects on perspective taking.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
L J Ji ◽  
Sieun An

The aim of the current study was to understand how people from different cultures react to accidents collectively. Findings showed that South Koreans reported stronger emotions, greater self-blame, higher perceived control, and higher perceived responsibility than Canadians. Furthermore, stronger emotional response and perceived control might have led Koreans to perceive stronger responsibility (than Canadians) for the accidents. Traditionally, it has been believed that East Asians have a diminished sense of control over life events compared to Westerners. The present findings are therefore intriguing. This aids our understanding of cross-cultural differences in experiences of loss and trauma.


2021 ◽  
pp. 106939712110326
Author(s):  
Takeshi Hashimoto ◽  
Claudia Gherghel

Compared to European Americans, East Asians are more reluctant to seek social support when dealing with stressful events. The purpose of this study is to test three possible explanations of these cultural differences. In addition to examining both harmony seeking and rejection avoidance (two facets of interdependence reflecting relationship concerns) as possible explanations, we propose a novel explanation, namely that sense of contribution (i.e., the degree to which one contributes to other people’s well-being) may be an important mediator for explaining cultural differences in support seeking. A survey was conducted on adults living in Japan and the U.S. Results revealed that Japanese less often rely on social support, and sense of contribution significantly mediates the association between culture and support seeking. In contrast, the mediating role of both harmony seeking and rejection avoidance was not supported. The results indicate that cultural differences in support seeking may be more adequately accounted for by sense of contribution than relationship concerns.


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