Full Answer Section

1. Anger: Associated with feelings of frustration, irritation, and hostility.
   • Facial Expression: Lowered eyebrows, furrowed brow, tightened lips, flared nostrils.
2. Fear: Associated with feelings of apprehension, threat, and danger.
   • Facial Expression: Raised eyebrows, widened eyes, open mouth, pulled-back lips.
3. Disgust: Associated with feelings of revulsion, repulsion, and aversion.
   • Facial Expression: Wrinkled nose, raised upper lip, narrowed eyes.
4. Surprise: Associated with a sudden, unexpected event or stimulus.
   • Facial Expression: Raised eyebrows, wide-open eyes, open mouth.
5. Contempt: Associated with feelings of superiority, disdain, and scorn.
   • Facial Expression: A unilateral (one-sided) lip curl, often resembling a sneer.

These emotions are considered universal because the facial expressions associated with them are hypothesized to be recognized and produced spontaneously by people from different cultures, even those with limited exposure to Western media or other cultures. This suggests a biological basis for their expression and recognition, potentially rooted in evolutionary advantages for rapid communication and social cohesion.

How Cultural Display Rules May Impact the Expression of Emotion

While the underlying experience and basic facial expressions of these seven emotions may be universal, cultural display rules significantly impact how, when, and where these emotions are actually expressed. Cultural display rules are socially learned rules that dictate which emotions are acceptable to express, the intensity with which they can be expressed, and under what circumstances they should be suppressed or masked. They are a crucial component of non-verbal communication and social etiquette within a given cultural context (Ekman & Friesen, 1969).

Here’s how cultural display rules can impact the expression of emotion:

1. Amplification: Some cultures encourage the exaggeration of certain emotions in public to show respect or convey sincerity.

   • Example: In some Mediterranean or Latin American cultures, grief or joy might be expressed with louder vocalizations, more expansive gestures, or overt crying in public gatherings, which might be perceived as over-the-top in more reserved cultures.

2. Deamplification: Cultures may require individuals to show less emotion than they are actually feeling, especially negative emotions.

   • Example: In many East Asian cultures, particularly Japan, it is common to deamplify negative emotions like anger or sadness in public or professional settings to maintain harmony and avoid causing discomfort to others. A person might smile or appear calm even when experiencing deep frustration or sorrow (Matsumoto et al., 2008).

3. Neutralization: Cultures may dictate that individuals should show no emotion at all, maintaining a neutral or poker face.

   • Example: In certain professional or formal contexts in various cultures, a neutral expression might be expected to convey seriousness, professionalism, or objectivity, even if one is feeling strong emotions internally. This can be seen in legal settings or highly competitive negotiations.

4. Masking: Individuals may replace the true emotion with a different, more socially acceptable emotion.

   • Example: Someone receiving criticism at work might feel intense anger or frustration but culturally mask it with a smile or feigned agreement to avoid direct confrontation, particularly in hierarchical or collectivist cultures where open conflict is discouraged.

5. Qualification: Expressing emotion but with a slight modification or hesitation to convey mixed feelings or to soften the impact.

   • Example: Offering a “sympathy smile” when someone shares bad news, where the smile is slight and accompanied by other cues (like narrowed eyes or a slight head tilt) that acknowledge the negative emotion.

6. In-group vs. Out-group Differences: Display rules can vary depending on whether the interaction is with someone from one’s own close social group (in-group) versus an outsider (out-group). People might be more expressive with close family and friends and more reserved with strangers or superiors.

These rules are learned through socialization, observation, and direct instruction from an early age. They play a critical role in social interaction, allowing individuals to navigate complex social situations and maintain cultural norms. For healthcare professionals, educators, or anyone working in diverse settings, understanding cultural display rules is crucial for effective communication and avoiding misinterpretations of emotional states. For instance, a nurse might misinterpret a stoic patient’s lack of expressed pain as an absence of pain, when culturally, the patient might be suppressing outward signs of discomfort.