Emotion and culture: A meta-analysis

• Published in: Cognition and emotion Vol. 21; no. 5; pp. 913 - 943
• Main Authors: van Hemert, Dianne A., Poortinga, Ype H., van de Vijver, Fons J. R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 01.08.2007
• ISSN: 0269-9931; 1464-0600
• DOI: 10.1080/02699930701339293

A meta-analysis of 190 cross-cultural emotion studies, published between 1967 and 2000, was performed to examine (1) to what extent reported cross-cultural differences in emotion variables could be regarded as valid (substantive factors) or as method-related (statistical artefacts, cultural bias), and (2) which country characteristics could explain valid cross-cultural differences in emotion. The relative contribution of substantive and method-related factors at sample, study, and country level was investigated and country-level explanations for differences in emotions were tested. Results indicate that a correction for statistical artefacts and method-related factors reduced the observed cross-cultural effect sizes considerably. After controlling for valence (positive vs. negative emotions) and kind of study (self-report vs. recognition studies), the remaining cross-cultural variance was associated with subsistence mode, political system, values, and religiosity. Values explained more variance than did ecological or sociopolitical variables. It was concluded that both method-related factors (13.8% of variance explained) and culture-level factors (27.9% of variance explained) underlie observed cross-cultural differences.