Cultural Variation in Affect Valuation

• Published in: Journal of personality and social psychology 2006-02, Vol.90 (2), p.288-307
• Main Authors: Tsai, Jeanne L, Knutson, Brian, Fung, Helene H
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acculturation; Adolescent; Adult; Affect; Affectivity; Affectivity. Emotion; Arousal; Asian Americans - psychology; Asian Continental Ancestry Group - psychology; Asians; Behavior; Biological and medical sciences; China; Comparative analysis; Cross Cultural Differences; Cross-cultural analysis; Cross-Cultural Comparison; Cultural values; Depression - psychology; Emotional States; Emotions; Ethnic Values; European Continental Ancestry Group - psychology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hong Kong; Human; Humans; Imagination; Male; Mental depression; Mental health; Personality. Affectivity; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Set (Psychology); Social Identification; Social psychology; Social Values; Sociocultural Factors; Temperament; U.S.A; United States; Valuation
• ISSN: 0022-3514; 1939-1315
• DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.90.2.288

The authors propose that how people want to feel ("ideal affect") differs from how they actually feel ("actual affect") and that cultural factors influence ideal more than actual affect. In 2 studies, controlling for actual affect, the authors found that European American (EA) and Asian American (AA) individuals value high-arousal positive affect (e.g., excitement) more than do Hong Kong Chinese (CH). On the other hand, CH and AA individuals value low-arousal positive affect (e.g., calm) more than do EA individuals. For all groups, the discrepancy between ideal and actual affect correlates with depression. These findings illustrate the distinctiveness of ideal and actual affect, show that culture influences ideal affect more than actual affect, and indicate that both play a role in mental health.