Emotional Expression in Japan and the United States

Abstract

In this study, the impact of individualism-collectivism at the cultural and individual level on the expression of emotion in Japan and the United States was examined. Individualism-collectivism expectations at the cultural level were partially supported, and only weak effects of individualism-collectivism at the individual level were found. The data are consistent with socialization into individualistic and collectivistic values as well as the lessening of these influences in U.S. and Japanese society. They support the idea that individualism-collectivism is not a comprehensive and precise dimension but rather a loose collection of many different cultural characteristics.

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