Premium
Cultural difference in recognition of facial emotional expression: Contrast between Japanese and American raters
Author(s) -
Shioiri Toshiki,
Someya Toshiyuki,
Helmeste Daiga,
Wa Tang Siu
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
psychiatry and clinical neurosciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1819
pISSN - 1323-1316
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-1819.1999.00617.x
Subject(s) - sadness , facial expression , psychology , set (abstract data type) , emotional expression , contrast (vision) , expression (computer science) , cognitive psychology , developmental psychology , anger , clinical psychology , communication , artificial intelligence , computer science , programming language
Using the Japanese and Caucasian Facial Expressions of Emotion (JACFEE) photo set, the relationship between recognition and intensity ratings of universal facial expressions of emotions in 123 Japanese undergraduate students was examined and compared with data reported by American raters. In Japanese raters, although the intensity was rated as high for some of the poses, their correctness scores were poor, suggesting a serious misjudgment of the intended emotions as defined in the JACFEE photo set. Only in Japanese raters were significant relationships between the intensity scores and the percentage correctness scores for sadness detected ( r = 0.97, P < 0.0001), but no significant relationship was observed for other emotions. The robust correlation suggests the possibility that Japanese raters might be more responsive to certain emotional expressions when they are fully or intensely expressed. It is proposed that the facial emotional expression paradigm cannot be applied to the psychiatric setting without first refining for cultural differences.