Emotion - Universality and Cultural Specificity of Emotion

4 important questions on Emotion - Universality and Cultural Specificity of Emotion

Evolutionary approaches on emotions

Emotions are biologically based behavioral adaptations meant to promote survival and reproduction 

Physiological responses to emotions (facial expressions, heart rate, breathing, vocalizations, and so on) should be crossculturally universal

Principle of serviceable habits

Charles Darwin's thesis that emotional expressions are remnant of full-blown behaviors that helped our primate and mammalian predecessors meet important goals in the past.

Universality of Facial Expression

 Facial expressions are recognized crossculturally 

VB: Cultures never exposed to the West or Western media (for example, the Fore of Papua New Guinea) can accurately identify expressions of happiness, surprise, sadness, anger, disgust, and fear shown by Westerners

Facial expressions may be innate: Blind and sighted athletes show similar facial expressions of pride after winning a competition

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Cultural Specificity of Emotion 

Cultures do show variation in expression of emotions > emotion accents

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