Sociocultural factors predicting subjective experience of emotion:a collective level analysis

Abstract

A research synthesis was conducted with six studies which correlated self-ratings of emotion (affect balance or pleasantness-unplesantness and emotional intensity) with the nations' socio-economic, ecological and cultural characteristics (Individualism, Masculinity, Uncertainty Avoidance and Power Distance national scores in Hofstede's dimensions). The meta-analysis shows that power distance and uncertainty avoidance has an homogenous significant and medium effect size with unpleasantness of emotional experience. Cultural masculinity shows a medium-low homogeneous effect size on emotional unpleasantness. Individualism shows a non homogenous positive association with emotional pleasantness. Multivariate analyses show that power distance was related to lower social desirability and intensity of positive and negative emotions. Results support the assumption that high power distance cultures deemphasize emotional experience by normative means. Uncertainty avoidance shows a positive association with emotional intensity. Hume's assumption that climatic effects on the subjective experience of emotions disappear when social and cultural factors are taken into account was supported.

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