Understanding Cultural Influences on Ideal Emotions in South Asian and Americans Using Affect Valuation Theory

Abstract

Affect Valuation Theory (AVT) proposes that cultural factors influence how individuals ideally want to feel (ideal affect) and how they actually feel (actual affect). Prior research has examined differences in high-arousal positive (HAP) and low-arousal positive (LAP) as well as high-arousal negative (HAN) and low-arousal negative (LAN) affect, mostly between East Asian and American populations, demonstrating that cultural norms shape emotional preferences and experiences. The present study extends this line of research by investigating preferences for LAP and HAP emotions in South Asian and American populations. Participants included 75 Americans and 13 South Asians recruited from Denison University’s “Introduction to Psychology” course and through word-of-mouth, as well as 145 participants aged 18 to 35 years from India (part of the South Asian group) recruited via Prolific. Mixed-model ANOVA was used with affect type as a within-subjects factor and culture as a between-subjects factor to analyze the data. The findings showed significance for both HAP and LAP in ideal affect among Americans and South Asians. This study aims to explore cross-cultural variations in affect valuation, focusing on how South Asians differ from previously studied groups in their ideal and actual affective states. Findings contribute to the broader understanding of cultural influences on emotion and expand the scope of AVT to include South Asian contexts.