Influencing and adjusting in daily emotional situations: A comparison of European and Asian American action styles |
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Authors: | Michael Boiger Batja Mesquita Annie Y. Tsai Hazel Markus |
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Affiliation: | 1. Department of Psychology , University of Leuven , Leuven , Belgium michael.boiger@psy.kuleuven.be;3. Department of Psychology , University of Leuven , Leuven , Belgium;4. Department of Psychology , Azusa Pacific University , Azusa , CA , USA;5. Department of Psychology , Stanford University , San Francisco , CA , USA |
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Abstract: | Emotions are for action, but action styles in emotional episodes may vary across cultural contexts. Based on culturally different models of agency, we expected that those who engage in European-American contexts will use more influence in emotional situations, while those who engage in East-Asian contexts will use more adjustment. European-American (N=60) and Asian-American (N=44) college students reported their action style during emotional episodes four times a day during a week. Asian Americans adjusted more than European Americans, whereas both used influence to a similar extent. These cultural differences in action style varied across types of emotion experienced. Moreover, influencing was associated with life satisfaction for European Americans, but not for Asian Americans. |
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Keywords: | Emotion Culture Agency Experience sampling Influence/adjustment |
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