Neural evidence for cultural differences in the valuation of positive facial expressions

Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience
BoKyung ParkBrian Knutson

Abstract

European Americans value excitement more and calm less than Chinese. Within cultures, European Americans value excited and calm states similarly, whereas Chinese value calm more than excited states. To examine how these cultural differences influence people's immediate responses to excited vs calm facial expressions, we combined a facial rating task with functional magnetic resonance imaging. During scanning, European American (n = 19) and Chinese (n = 19) females viewed and rated faces that varied by expression (excited, calm), ethnicity (White, Asian) and gender (male, female). As predicted, European Americans showed greater activity in circuits associated with affect and reward (bilateral ventral striatum, left caudate) while viewing excited vs calm expressions than did Chinese. Within cultures, European Americans responded to excited vs calm expressions similarly, whereas Chinese showed greater activity in these circuits in response to calm vs excited expressions regardless of targets' ethnicity or gender. Across cultural groups, greater ventral striatal activity while viewing excited vs. calm expressions predicted greater preference for excited vs calm expressions months later. These findings provide neural evidence that p...Continue Reading

References

Jun 1, 1996·Computers and Biomedical Research, an International Journal·R W Cox
Apr 13, 2004·Nature Neuroscience·Kalanit Grill-SpectorNancy Kanwisher
May 13, 2005·The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience·Brian KnutsonGary Glover
Mar 16, 2006·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology·Jeanne L TsaiHelene H Fung
Dec 1, 2006·NeuroImage·Ying ZhuShihui Han
Dec 21, 2006·Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin·Jeanne L TsaiYukiko Uchida
Jan 10, 2008·Psychological Science·Trey HeddenJohn D E Gabrieli
Jan 15, 2008·Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience·Wouter van den BosJonathan D Cohen
May 7, 2008·Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience·Joan Y ChiaoNalini Ambady
Aug 8, 2008·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Nikolaas N Oosterhof, Alexander Todorov
Oct 3, 2008·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Brian Knutson, Stephanie M Greer
Dec 25, 2008·Human Brain Mapping·Joan Y ChiaoTetsuya Iidaka
Jun 11, 2010·The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience·Anita TuscheJohn-Dylan Haynes
Jun 28, 2011·Nature Methods·Tal YarkoniTor D Wager
Apr 4, 2012·International Journal of Psychology : Journal International De Psychologie·Chih-Mao Huang, Denise Park
Sep 22, 2012·Annual Review of Psychology·Shihui HanMichael E W Varnum
Sep 5, 2013·NeuroImage·Charlene C WuBrian Knutson
Mar 25, 2014·Psychological Science·Daniel GillPhilippe G Schyns
Sep 1, 2007·Perspectives on Psychological Science : a Journal of the Association for Psychological Science·Jeanne L Tsai
Jul 19, 2015·Psychological Science·Alexander Genevsky, Brian Knutson
Jan 12, 2016·Emotion·Jeanne L TsaiLise Haddouk

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Jul 16, 2016·Social Neuroscience·Michael E W Varnum, Ryan S Hampton
Apr 13, 2017·Psychology & Health·Daniel O'LearyJames J Gross
Apr 6, 2017·Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience·BoKyung ParkJeanne L Tsai
Oct 4, 2017·Perspectives on Psychological Science : a Journal of the Association for Psychological Science·Shinobu Kitayama, Cristina E Salvador
Jun 15, 2018·Psychiatry Investigation·Na Young ShinJun Soo Kwon
Jun 5, 2020·Integrative Psychological & Behavioral Science·Alexander Shkurko
Oct 25, 2017·Current Addiction Reports·Shikha PrashadFrancesca M Filbey
Jun 17, 2020·Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews·Joan Y ChiaoSu Yeon Lee-Tauler
Feb 20, 2019·Developmental Review : DR·Joan Y Chiao

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Basal Ganglia

Basal Ganglia are a group of subcortical nuclei in the brain associated with control of voluntary motor movements, procedural and habit learning, emotion, and cognition. Here is the latest research.

Related Papers

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Jeanne L TsaiDannii Y Yeung
Current Biology : CB
Felicitas Kranz, Alumit Ishai
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Jeanne L TsaiHelene H Fung
Social Psychological and Personality Science
Pin-Hao A ChenTodd F Heatherton
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved