Communication of Emotion: Behavioral and Neural Correlates

Tufts University Medford, Medford MA

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Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The overarching goal of this application is to test a theory regarding nonlinguistic dialects. 6 sets of studies are proposed to test the hypotheses that nonlinguistic emotional dialects are (a) acquired through cultural exposure and (b) provide cues as to cultural identity. Further, (c) emotional dialects of majority group members are understood more accurately by minority group members than vice-versa;(d) emotional dialects are associated with distinct neural patterns of activation;(e) emotional dialect acquisition shows a similar early developmental trajectory to linguistic dialect acquisition, and, (f) bicultural individual is fluent in different emotional dialects will code-switch between dialects in response to subtle primes. The 12 proposed studies are designed to examine emotional communication by members of diverse cultural and ethnic groups, from Japan, India, and the United States. Within these groups, both majority as well as minority group members will be examined. Both the results and the stimuli collected for these studies involving emotions expressed in 3 different channels (the face, body, and voice) from diverse cultural and ethnic groups will be shared and disseminated to other scientists to enhance research and knowledge in this area. The proposed research should have important implications for mental health and inter-group relations. Being less able to understand the emotions being communicated by members of other ethnic or cultural groups probably contributes heavily to a lack of empathy and understanding of less familiar others as well as to inter-group prejudice and discrimination. This work has implications for diverse interactions such as in the client-provider relationships, in which members of diverse ethnic and cultural groups have to interact and sustain relationships.