A multi-level approach to examine cross-cultural differences in emotion regulation among US and Chinese preschoolers.

• In Event: 2-127 - New Directions in Research on Culture and Emotion Regulation

Integrative Statement

Cultural variations in emotional expression has been observed across development from infancy onward (Carmras et al., 1998). In particular, some evidence has suggested that Asian and Asian-American children display less positive and negative expressions compared to Caucasian-American counterparts (Carmras et al., 2006; Lewis et al., 2010). Cultural norms for “Eastern” collectivistic/interdependent cultures versus “Western” individualistic/self-focused cultures have been proposed to lead to such differences in the propensity to express strong emotions and to make one’s own desires known vs. the tendency to suppress or mask them in order not to create trouble or discomfort for the group in Eastern cultures. Nonetheless, emotion expression and regulation require a complex system that involves neurobiological and behavioral dynamics of regulation that are sensitive to cultural contexts (Tardif et al., 2009). Our study uses a multi-level and multi-context approach to understand variations in emotion expression and regulation among children in Western and Eastern cultures. This is important because little is known whether the observed cultural differences in emotion expression/regulation in young children are context-specific (Liu et al., 2011) and/or whether they are synchronized across both neurobiological and behavioral levels. Objectives: We examined cross-cultural differences in facial displays and cortisol reactivity among preschoolers living in China and US using three different “challenge” paradigms. Methods: A total of 59 children (55% males; M = 52.42 months; SD = 3.32) from Beijing, China and 58 (48% males; M = 54.12 months; SD = 4.81) children from Ann Arbor, Michigan participated in and provided full data for study activities on three consecutive days. Each child completed three paradigms: 1) an envelope sorting task designed as the control task but nonetheless involves a brief period in which the child must complete a task in the absence of an adult; 2) a disappointing prize task (Cole, 1986), which represents a relationship-type of stressor in a social context; and 3) a frustrating computer task designed to elicit an achievement failure. Facial expressions were coded during the challenge tasks and salivary cortisol was sampled 30 minutes before, immediate preceding and for 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 75 and 90 minutes after each paradigm. Results: Chinese preschoolers exhibited less sadness than their American counterparts during the disappointing prize task, but displayed similar levels of sadness than US children during the computer task (Figure 1). Moreover, only the frustrating computer task (but not the prize or control task) effectively elicited increases in cortisol reactivity among Chinese preschoolers (Figure 2). No cortisol increase was observed in US children in any of the paradigms. Conclusions: Our findings challenge prior findings suggesting that East Asian children are less emotionally expressive, and argue that emotion expression and regulation has to be understood in contexts that are relevant to ones’ cultural emphasis. Particularly, Chinese preschoolers are more behavioral expressive and neurobiological reactive to context that is related to self-improvement and achievement. Moreover, children from interdependent cultures may selectively express their emotions based on contexts, whereas children from independent cultures may express their emotions regardless of contexts.

Authors

• Ka I Ip, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
  Presenting Author

• Barbara Felt, University of Michigan
  Non-Presenting Author

• Sheryl Olson, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
  Non-Presenting Author

• Li Wang, Peking University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Twila Tardif, University of Michigan
  Non-Presenting Author