Johnny R. J. Fontaine

The World of Emotions is not Two-Dimensional

For more than half a century, emotion researchers have attempted to establish the dimensional space that most economically accounts for similarities and differences in emotional experience. Today, many researchers focus exclusively on two-dimensional models involving valence and arousal. Adopting a theoretically based approach, we show for three languages that four dimensions are needed to satisfactorily represent similarities and differences in the meaning of emotion words. In order of importance, these dimensions are evaluationpleasantness, potency-control, activation-arousal, and unpredictability. They were identified on the basis of the applicability of 144 features representing the six components of emotions: (a) appraisals of events, (b) psychophysiological changes, (c) motor expressions, (d) action tendencies, (e) subjective experiences, and (f) emotion regulation.

Mapping Expressive Differences Around the World The Relationship Between Emotional Display Rules and Individualism Versus Collectivism

Despite the importance of the concept of cultural display rules in explaining cultural differences in emotional expression and despite the fact that it has been more than 30 years since this concept was coined, there is yet to be a study that surveys display rules across a wide range of cultures. This article reports such a study. More than 5,000 respondents in 32 countries completed the Display Rule Assessment Inventory. The authors examined five hypotheses concerning the relationship between display rules and individualism-collectivism (IC). The findings indicated the existence of several universal effects, including greater expression toward in-groups versus out-groups, and an overall regulation effect. Individualistic and collectivistic cultures differed on overall expressivity endorsement and in norms concerning specific emotions in in-group and out-group situations.

Structural Equivalence of the Values Domain Across Cultures Distinguishing Sampling Fluctuations From Meaningful Variation

The authors examine the cross-cultural equivalence of the internal structure of the values domain, as measured by the Schwartz Value Survey. Data come from 38 countries, each represented by a student and a teacher sample. In seeking to distinguish lack of fit of the theorized value model from a lack of equivalence in the data and the impact of random sampling fluctuations from valid structural differences, the authors find the following: (a) The Schwartz value theory provides an excellent representation of the average value structure across samples; (b) sampling fluctuation causes deviations from this average structure; (c) sampling fluctuation cannot account for all these deviations; (d) samples of students fit the overall value structure better than samples of teachers, and samples from Western countries better than those from non-Western countries; and (e) the deviations from the average structure exhibit a systematic pattern: the higher the level of societal development of a country, the greater the contrast between protection and growth values.

Are Individual-Level and Country-Level Value Structures Different? Testing Hofstede’s Legacy With the Schwartz Value Survey:

Hofstede identified four value dimensions at the country level but did not find matching dimensions at the individual level. Schwartz discriminated different sets of value constructs at individual and country-levels, based on separate analyses per level. In this article, the authors directly examine the degree of similarity or isomorphism between the structure of values in individual- and country-level analyses, using multidimensional scaling followed by generalized Procrustes analysis. Using data from the Schwartz Value Survey from 53 and 66 countries, the authors find substantial similarity in structure across levels, but indices fall somewhat short of structural isomorphism. The authors then test hypotheses regarding possible causes of the less than perfect isomorphism between the levels. Number of countries (sample size at country level) and structural shifts in individual items account for some of the lack of isomorphism. Implications for future cross-cultural research are discussed.

Consequences of a Multidimensional Approach to Religion for the Relationship Between Religiosity and Value Priorities

Based on both a theological and a sociopsychological analysis, the goals of Roman Catholic religion were identified and translated in terms of Schwartzs (1992) 10 value types of Hedonism, Stimulation, Self-Direction, Universalism, Benevolence, Tradition, Conformity, Security, Power, and Achievement. The relations between these value types and Wulffs (1991, 1997) two religiosity dimensions of Exclusion versus Inclusion of Transcendence and Literal versus Symbolic, as measured by the Post-Critical Belief scale (Fontaine et al., 2003), were tested in seven samples (N = 1695) gathered in Flanders (Belgium). The value pattern associated with the Exclusion versus Inclusion of Transcendence dimension was characterized by a conflict between Hedonism, Stimulation, and Self-Direction on one hand, and Tradition and Conformity on the other hand. The value pattern associated with the Literal versus Symbolic dimension was characterized by a conflict between Security and Power on one hand, and Universalism and Benevolence on the other hand.

Confirming the Distinctiveness of Complicated Grief from Depression and Anxiety among Adolescents.

Studies in adult populations have shown that symptoms of complicated grief (CG) constitute a form of bereavement-related distress distinct from symptoms of depression and anxiety. The purpose of this article is to replicate these findings in two samples of bereaved adolescents by investigating the latent structure of symptoms of CG, anxiety, and depression measured by self-report questionnaires. The first study (N = 245) focuses on one of the most prevalent losses in adolescence, namely the death of a grandparent. In the second study (N = 351) the authors further the examination of the distinctiveness question by inspecting not only the latent structure of CG, depression, and anxiety but also whether the distinctiveness of the emerging latent structure holds across subgroups of bereaved adolescents suffering different types of losses. Confirmatory factor analyses in both studies confirm the distinctiveness of CG from depression and anxiety in a younger population.

The unbearable lightness of somatisation: A systematic review of the concept of somatisation in empirical studies of pain

ABSTRACT Somatisation is often invoked to explain pain and suffering in patients. Lipowski [34] defined somatisation as “a tendency to experience and communicate somatic distress and symptoms unaccounted for by pathological findings, to attribute them to physical illness, and to seek medical help for them” (p. 1359). His concept is widely accepted. This study investigated to what extent this conceptualisation is used in the empirical studies of pain. Studies were identified through searches from Web of Science, Pubmed and Psychinfo databases for the period from 1989 until 2007. Screening an initial set of 1020 articles resulted in 120 articles fulfilling inclusion criteria. One hundred and sixteen articles were retrieved and coded in terms of the conceptualisation of Lipowski [34]. All studies had a measure of somatic symptoms, most often questionnaires. Whether the symptoms were unaccounted for by pathological findings was rarely investigated. No study assessed whether the participants attributed the somatic complaints to physical illness. Most studies included patients seeking help in a clinical setting, but only one study investigated whether patients were seeking help for the somatisation complaints. In conclusion, no study fulfilled the construct criteria as defined by Lipowski [34]. Most studies focus upon the extent and diversity of somatic complaints. We recommend that researchers who use self‐report instruments do not use the term “somatisation” (even if the instrument is labeled as a “somatisation” scale), but use the term “multiple physical symptoms” instead. The current operational use may unduly lead to a “psychologisation” of physical complaints.

In Search of a Comprehensive Value Model for Assessing Supplementary Person—Organization Fit

In this study, the authors tested the comprehensiveness of the S. H. Schwartz (1992) value model as a conceptual framework for assessing supplementary person—organization fit. They conducted an extensive literature search in which they identified 42 value instruments or typologies that are used to measure life, work, or organizational values. Experts judged whether each of 1,578 items from these 42 instruments could be regarded as an indicator of 1 of the 10 value types identified by S. H. Schwartz (1992). The authors found that (a) 92.5% of the items could be classified into 1 of the 10 value types and (b) the remaining items suggested 2 possible new types (goal orientedness and relations). The authors also found indications that 2 value types could be split to obtain a more univocal meaning. Overall, these findings suggest that the S. H. Schwartz (1992) value model might be an appropriate comprehensive framework for studying supplementary person—organization fit.

Cross-Cultural Research Methods in Psychology: Methods for Investigating Structural Equivalence

This chapter focuses on data analytic methods to investigate whether the internal structures of measurement instruments are equivalent between cultural groups. For example, is the structure of values that guide individuals’ lives similar between Western and Far Eastern countries? Do employees use the same dimensions to evaluate their organization and their supervisors in different cultural groups? Is the structure of personality between the United States and China the same, or are there culture-specific personality dimensions? This chapter introduces the four most commonly used data analytic methods to investigate the equivalence of the internal structure between cultural groups – namely, multidimensional scaling (MDS), principal component analysis (PCA), exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and confirmatory factor analysis. Before presenting these four data analytic methods, the concept of structural equivalence is explained and situated within the equivalence framework. Moreover, at the end of this chapter two general issues about sample size and data transformation before the analyses are discussed. The concept of structural equivalence The investigation of the internal structure forms a key element in the validation process of a measurement instrument within a cultural group (e.g., Messick, 1989). The question is whether the item responses adequately capture the underlying dimensions or factors of the domain one wants to assess. For instance, the responses to the items of a Big Five personality instrument should be captured by five underlying factors, and each of the items has to contribute to the assessment of the specific personality factor it has been constructed for. Thus, the investigation of the internal structure answers two questions: (a) what are the underlying dimensions or factors that capture the interrelationships between the observed item responses and (b) how does each item relate to these underlying dimensions or factors? The more the expected underlying dimensions emerge from the observed item–response relationships and the more each item relates to the expected underlying dimension, the more evidence there is for the construct validity of the instrument.

The Structure of Human Values at the Culture Level: A Meta-Analytical Replication of Schwartz’s Value Orientations Using the Rokeach Value Survey:

We conducted a meta-analysis using the Rokeach Value Survey (RVS) to replicate Schwartz’s value structure at the culture level. In Study 1, data on value priorities from 37 different cultural groups were analyzed. Using a configurational verification approach, the structure of conflicting value types as predicted by Schwartz was replicated. Significant correlations with Schwartz’s two-dimensional configuration of the Schwartz Value Survey (SVS) confirmed this finding. Furthermore, a set of value items that was not included in Schwartz’s analysis formed a new value type labeled Self-Fulfilled Connectedness (SFC). It contains values that represent profound attachment to others as well as attributes of self-fulfillment. In Study 2, it was proposed that SFC may be an individualistic value orientation that shares some similarity with Autonomy but includes relational values as a main component. Correlations with country indices of subjective well-being, post-materialism, and socioeconomic development supported the idea that it is related to happiness, the pursuit of non-material goals, and endorsed in countries in which basic needs are fulfilled. Its theoretical meaning in the context of Schwartz’s culture-level value theory is discussed.