Affective reactions differ between Chinese and American healthy young adults: a cross-cultural study using the international affective picture system.

Jinwen Huang,Shaohua Hu,Linfeng Cao,Yi Xu,Yingran Zhang,Ning Wei,Jianbo Hu,Bradley S Peterson,Dongrong Xu,Weijuan Xu

doi:10.1186/s12888-015-0442-9

Abstract

BackgroundSeveral cross-cultural studies have suggested that emotions are influenced by the cultural background. Emotional reactions to International Affective Picture System (IAPS) images were compared between Chinese and American young adults.Methods120 Chinese undergraduates (53 females, 67 males; aged 18-25 years) were enrolled at Zhejiang University, China, and the valence and arousal components of their emotional responses to IAPS images were rated using the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) system. Then, valence and arousal scores were compared to those of 100 American undergraduates (50 females, 50 males) of the same age group, enrolled at Florida University and surveyed by Prof. PJ Lang in 2001.ResultsValence scores assigned to 259/816 (31.74%) pictures differed significantly between Chinese and American female participants, while those assigned to 165/816 (20.22%) pictures differed significantly between Chinese and American males (P < 6 × 10-5). Of the 816 pictures, the arousal scores assigned to 101/816 (12.38%) pictures differed significantly between Chinese and American female participants; these scores significantly differed in 130/816 (15.93%) pictures between Chinese and American males (P < 6 × 10-5). Valence scores for pictures in the Erotic category differed significantly between Chinese and American females (P < 6 × 10-5). There were no significant differences in valence scores for the remaining eight categories studied between participants from the two countries, whether female or male.ConclusionsThe IAPS norms require a modification for their appropriate application in Asian cultures.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12888-015-0442-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Highlights

Several cross-cultural studies have suggested that emotions are influenced by the cultural background
Valence scores The valence scores assigned by Chinese female participants to 31.74% (259/816) of the pictures differed from those assigned by their American counterparts (P < 6 × 10-5)
Chinese females showed significantly lower valence scores in 194 pictures than American females; in contrast, 65 pictures were scored significantly higher in Chinese females compared with American female participants

Summary

Introduction

Several cross-cultural studies have suggested that emotions are influenced by the cultural background. Emotional reactions to International Affective Picture System (IAPS) images were compared between Chinese and American young adults. Grossmann et al found that Russians spent significantly more time looking at negative pictures than positive ones, whereas Americans do not display this inclination [2]. The differences between the emotional reactions of Chinese and American adults were highlighted in a study assessing the fear of one’s employer [8]. Liew et al found that Americans, unlike Chinese participants, do not show a “boss effect” and maintain self-face advantage in the presence of their supervisor’s face.

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Results

Conclusion