2-127 - New Directions in Research on Culture and Emotion Regulation

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Emotion regulation (ER), the ability to modify one’s emotional experience and expression (Gross, 1998), is important for successful adaptation (Eisenberg et al., 2001; Gross & John, 2003). ER is a complex system that involves behavioral, neurobiological, and homeostatic dynamics of regulation, which are sensitive to cultural influences. Most cross-cultural research on ER has simply focused on documenting group differences. In this symposium, we present three papers that highlight new directions in culture and ER, by emphasizing the importance of taking a multilevel perspective to understanding the nuances of cultural processes and how they may shape ER.

The first paper presents research on the daily lives and experiences of infant’s in the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, US, and Korea and examines how variation in daily activities influence basal cortisol levels at multiple time points and ages. The second paper presents findings on cross-cultural differences in facial displays and cortisol reactivity among preschoolers living in China and US and examines how these types of patterns may vary across three different stressors and their functional demands. The third paper examines the link between ER strategies and psychological well-being in a unique sample, Chinese migrant adolescents, who face distinctive challenges and stressors.

The papers will be followed by an integrative discussion that highlights the importance of deconstructing “culture” and examines the complex interplay between culture and emotion regulation. Discussion will focus on comparing and contrasting these current studies with past research, and how these approaches provide innovative ways to advancing our understanding culture and ER.

Sub Unit

• Race, Ethnicity, Culture, Context

Chair

• Stacey N Doan, Claremont Mckenna College

Discussant

• Twila Tardif, University of Michigan

Individual Presentations

• Culture, Infancy, and the Milieu Intérieur - Presenting Author: Charles M. Super, University of Connecticut; Non-Presenting Author: Douglas Granger, University of California, Irvine; Non-Presenting Author: Ughetta Moscardino, University of Padova; Non-Presenting Author: Blanca Huitron, National Autonomous University of Mexico; Non-Presenting Author: Marjolin J.M. Blom, Raad voor Volksgezondheid en Samenleving; Non-Presenting Author: Jong-Hay Rha, Hannam University; Non-Presenting Author: Sara Harkness, U. of Connecticut

• A multi-level approach to examine cross-cultural differences in emotion regulation among US and Chinese preschoolers. - Presenting Author: Ka I Ip, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor; Non-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

• Relationship between emotion regulation and psychological well-being : a cross-lagged study in Chinese migrant adolescents - Presenting Author: Liuqing Jiang, Beijing Normal University; Non-Presenting Author: Lichan Liang, Beijing Normal University; Non-Presenting Author: Yufang Bian, Beijing Normal University