Is societal progress muting the expressivity of negative emotions? Evidence from two cross-national studies

Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology. 2026. P. 1–30.

Yeung J. C., Lun V. M., Li L. M., Bond M. H., Joshanloo M., Górski M. R., Sokolov B., Almakaeva A., Krys K.

Contemporary theories of emotion emphasize the dual role of emotions as both personal
experiences and communicative signals during social interactions. However, the impact of
macro-level societal structures on emotional expression remains underexplored. This study
investigates the expression-experience discrepancy for self-reported emotions across nations,
focusing on how societal development relates to this discrepancy, which captures expressivity.
Using meta-analysis and multilevel modeling with a multinational sample (Nsample = 12,549, knation
= 48; Study 1), we assessed the directions and variabilities in the frequency of expression of
both positive and negative emotions, relative to the frequency of experiencing them. Negative
emotions were more likely to be under-expressed. Further analyses revealed that societal
trust, system quality and fairness, and the human development index significantly predicted
the size of these discrepancies. Surprisingly, these effects were not associated with traditional
cultural dimensions such as individualism versus collectivism, providing new insights into the
social functionality of emotions from a macro perspective. These findings were replicated in an
extended multinational sample (Nsample = 19,690, knation = 65; Study 2). Our findings highlight
the importance of considering structural and societal factors in emotion research and provide
a foundation for future explorations into the relations between cultural contexts and the
expression of emotions.

Keywords: social norms, societal development, emotional expression, emotional experience

Publication based on the results of: Comparative studies of culture and subjective well-being: differentiation and integration of societies in the context of global challenges (2025)