The Culturally Low-Expressed Emotion of Love

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This article presents the findings of multiple studies on how low levels of expressed emotion are culturally typical for people in traditional collectivistic societies.

Other articles on this website have presented an abundance of cross-cultural findings on the physical traits—face, body, skin, tactile, and olfactory senses—that people find attractive in their prospective mates and romantic partners. These qualities are markedly physiological. And they refer to the static physical appearance and beauty that are widely valued and similar across many societies. Their cultural value and specific embodiment, however, vary depending on ecological, social, and cultural contexts. Their significance varies greatly between traditional collectivistic and modern individualistic societies (Karandashev, 2022a).

Many studies have shown that the value of expressive features of physical appearance in love relationships and marriages culturally varies from one society to another.

The Cultures of Low- versus High- Expressed Emotion

Based on the findings of numerous studies, I have compiled comprehensive descriptions of (1) highly-expressive and low-expressive cultural models of emotions as well as (2) models of direct and indirect emotional expression. These models demonstrate the diversity of ways in which people express their emotions in different cultures, including the most visible ones such as facial expressions (Karandashev, 2021).

A recent series of cross-cultural studies supported the theory that physical characteristics valued most in romantic partners differ in traditional and modernized societies (Karandashev et al., 2016, 2020).

Relatively traditional collectivistic societies (such as Jamaica, Georgia, and Russia) are mostly survival cultures, which are characterized by the superiority of the Power Distance value and a diminished role of Individualism, Indulgence and Emancipation values. These cultures are largely conservative and encourage reserved and suppressed facial and bodily expressiveness. Results of the studies showed that physiologically determined, static physical qualities of a romantic partner’s appearance, such as facial characteristics, body shape, quality of skin, voice, and smell, are especially valuable for men and women in traditional (less modernized) societies. People in these cultures largely do not consider expressive faces and bodies as important to their romantic partners (Karandashev et al., 2016, 2020).

Cultural Traditions of Low Expressed Emotion in East Asian Cultures

The historical cultural norms of East-Asian cultures, substantially influenced by Confucianism, emphasize self-control, low-arousal emotions, and inhibited displays of emotion in public. People normatively practice reserved interpersonal contact and expressive suppression. These societies have been traditionally conservative and low-contact cultures (Barnlund, 1975; Klopf & Thompson, 1991; McDaniel & Andersen, 1998).

As low-contact cultures, East Asian societies prefer more distant and reserved interaction in their daily communication, with a lack of sensory contacts and tactile and expressive behavior. They exhibit low expressed emotion, even within families (McDaniel &; Andersen, 1998; Remland, Jones, & Brinkman, 1991).

In East Asian cultures, people respect the emotional norms that encourage such personality traits as being modest, introverted, silent, quiet, and reluctant to interrupt, with a priority of diplomacy over truth, as well as little body and facial expressiveness (Nishimura et al., 2008).

Nonverbally, men and women prefer greater distance in interaction, close body positions, a lack of eye contact, less vocal animation, a lack of touching, a lack of smiling, and less expressiveness

East Asian cultural tradition suggests that being emotional means a lack of self-control. Therefore, they tend to suppress their expression of emotions. They say “good” rather than “fantastic.” They say “not very good,” rather than “terrible.” When they express strong personal affection, they prefer an indirect and hesitant style of communication because they believe that direct verbal expressions of love and respect give the impression of being ingenuine and suspicious. Verbal praise and excessive compliments can make a partner feel embarrassed (Gudykunst & Kim, 1984, p. 142).

For example, the results of recent studies suggest that people from Japanese culture tend to display low expressivity, or at least endorse the norms of low emotional expressiveness (e.g., Safdar et al., 2009).

Cultural motivations toward interdependence and social harmony likely determine Asians and Americans of Asian descent to exhibit habitual expressive suppression of emotions (especially socially disengaging emotions) as normative for this type of culture (Schouten et al., 2020; Sun & Lau, 2018).

In China, the East Asian society of low expressiveness, the cultural norms of inhibition and restraint tend to prevail in the experience and expression of emotions. In studies (e.g., Eid & Diener, 2001), Chinese experienced lower intensity and frequency of emotions (both positive and negative) in comparison with Taiwanese, Australians, and European Americans. The cultural values of moderation and suppression of emotions are highly valued in Chinese culture.

East Asians are not only less expressive but also less assertive. They prefer to suppress their expression of negative messages and confrontations (see for review, Lim, 2013).

East Asian emotional styles are suppressive rather than expressive, as in European and American cultures. However, unlike in modern expressive societies, East Asians’ suppressive style does not have the same negative impact on their well-being. 

Conservative Gender Roles of Dominance and Submissiveness in East Asian cultures and the Cultural Norms of Low Expressed Emotion

East Asian cultures have also been conservative in their public attitudes toward gender roles of dominance and submissiveness. Cultural norms for men were to express their own power and social status, while for women, they were to display their unassertive and submissive nature (Dalby, 1983; Wolf, 1974). Their appearance, exhibiting low sexual maturity and expressiveness, conveyed the impression of submissiveness.

Men in such societies, which endorse submissive female roles, have a cultural preference for minimal cheekbone prominence, rounded cheeks, a small mouth, and few maturity cues. East-Asian men preferred neotenous white skin, a round childlike face, and an inexpressive mouth with a small smile (cited in Cunningham et al., 1995). The traditional patterns of formal makeup constrained their facial expressions of emotion. These practices followed the cultural values of modesty, sexual immaturity, and inexpressiveness, as they were expected from women in public stereotypes.

In Japan, men (as well as women) perceived a Japanese woman who smiled infrequently and in a closed body position as more attractive to them. In contrast with the modern self-expression norms of liberal societies, a large smile did not indicate intense positive motivation. Therefore, Japanese men (as well as women) perceived Japanese women who were expressive, frequently smiley in an open body position, and exhibited sexual maturity as being less attractive to them (Matsumoto & Ekman, 1989; McGinley, Blau, & Takai, 1984; see for detailed review, Karandashev, 2020).

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