Cross-cultural studies have accumulated evidence on cultural variations in a wide range of psychological processes. But what are health implications of such cultural variations? For example, what does it mean for one’s health to have a pro-positive orientation to emotions in the U.S. (vs. Japan)? Our lab is forging connections between cultural psychology and heath to elucidate health implications of cultural variations in psychological processes.
KEY FINDINGS
- Positive emotions predict better health (i.e., a healthier lipids profile) in the U.S., but the associations are weaker or non-existent in Japan (Yoo, Miyamoto, Rigotti, & Ryff, 2017).
- Negative emotions predict worse health (i.e., an elevated level of inflammatory marker; Interleukin-6) in the U.S., but there is no association in Japan (Miyamoto et al., 2013; see also Curhan et al., 2014).
- People with self-construal that matches their cultural contexts tend to engage in healthier eating habits (Levine, Miyamoto et al., 2016).
Cultural Models of Optimal Functioning from Miyamoto, Yoo, & Wilken (forthcoming)
Relevant Publications:
Wilken, B., & Miyamoto, Y. (accepted). Protestant and Buddhist differences in non-influence strategies of emotion regulation and their links to depressive symptoms. Emotion.
Miyamoto, Y., Yoo, J., & Wilken, B. (forthcoming). Well-being and health: A cultural psychology of optimal human functioning. In S. Kitayama & D. Cohen (Eds.), Handbook of Cultural Psychology (2nd Ed.) New York, NY: Guilford.
Yoo, J., Miyamoto, Y., Rigotti, A., & Ryff, C. D. (2017). Linking positive affect to blood lipids: A cultural perspective. Psychological Science, 28, 1468-1477.
Yoo, J., Miyamoto, Y., & Ryff, C. (2016). Positive affect, social connectedness, and healthy biomarkers in Japan and the U.S. Emotion, 16, 1137-1146.
Levine, C. S., Miyamoto, Y., Markus, H. R., Park, J., Kitayama, S., Kawakami, N., Karasawa, M., Boylan, J. M., Coe, C. L., Love, G. D., & Ryff, C. D. (2016). Culture and healthy eating: The role of independence and interdependence in the United States and Japan. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 42, 1335-1348.
Curhan, K. B., Sims, T., Markus, H.R., Kitayama, S., Karasawa, M., Kawakami, N., Love, G., Coe, C. L., Miyamoto, Y., & Ryff, C.D. (2014). Just how bad negative affect is for your health depends on culture. Psychological Science, 25, 2277-2280.
Miyamoto, Y., Boylan, J. M., Coe, C. L., Curhan, K., Levine, C. S., Markus, H. R., Park, J., Kitayama, S., Kawakami, N., Karasawa, M., Love, G. D., & Ryff, C. (2013). Negative emotions predict elevated interleukin-6 in the United States but not in Japan. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 34, 79-85.
Miyamoto, Y., & Ryff, C. (2011). Cultural differences in the dialectical and non-dialectical emotional styles and their implications for health. Cognition and Emotion, 25, 22-30.