EAPSI:Characterizing Cultural Differences in Responses to Personal Insults

Leclair Jessica E, Goleta CA

Investigators

Abstract

EAPSI: Characterizing cultural differences in responses to personal insults With rapid globalization, more people face challenges of working and communicating across cultures. In such interactions, misunderstandings may lead to unintended insults. Understanding how people might respond when insulted is important, especially as responses may vary across cultures (Leung & Cohen, 2001). Aggressive responses may be acceptable in some cultures, while seen as inappropriate in others. This project will examine cultural differences in how people respond to insults and consider how being focused on avoiding negative outcomes versus gaining positive outcomes alters behavioral responses to insults. This research aims to contribute to developing culturally sensitive ways of communicating and behaving. The research will be conducted in collaboration with Dr. Yukiko Uchida, an expert in cross-cultural understanding at the Kokoro Research Center of Kyoto University, Japan. Existing work on cultural differences in insult responses has largely focused on regional variation, especially within the United States, and has used extreme insult situations, including swearing and name-calling (e.g., Cohen et al., 1996). The present study seeks to examine cultural differences in insult responses by using a minor everyday-type of insult. Further, the research will investigate the effect of manipulating approach-avoidance motivation on insult responses. An approach motivation orients towards opportunities for gain, while an avoidance motivation orients towards preventing loses. Based on previous findings, suggesting that avoidance orientation may be more consistent with responses in face cultures (e.g., East Asia) while approach orientation may be more consistent with honor-type responses, we will examine how manipulating approach-avoidance may impact responses to insults across cultures. This NSF EAPSI award is funded in collaboration with the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.