Compassion in Mexico and the United States: Unpacking Cultural Differences
Previous research indicates that cultural variations exist in conceptualizations of compassion, potentially attributable to the extent to which individuals in diverse cultural settings want to avoid (versus accept) feeling negative emotions and the significance they place on emotion sharing as a com...
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Behavioral Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/6/732 |
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| author | Naomi Hernandez Liam Llerena Evita Morales Jack Tillman David Ruiz Mendez Birgit Koopmann-Holm |
| author_facet | Naomi Hernandez Liam Llerena Evita Morales Jack Tillman David Ruiz Mendez Birgit Koopmann-Holm |
| author_sort | Naomi Hernandez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Previous research indicates that cultural variations exist in conceptualizations of compassion, potentially attributable to the extent to which individuals in diverse cultural settings want to avoid (versus accept) feeling negative emotions and the significance they place on emotion sharing as a component of compassion. The present study investigates the conceptualization of compassion among individuals in Mexico and the United States, aiming to understand why these cultural differences occur. We hypothesized that Mexicans (1) would want to avoid feeling negative less, (2) would consequently regard emotion sharing as a more critical element of a compassionate response, and (3) would therefore conceptualize a compassionate face as one that mirrors sadness more and expresses happiness less compared to U.S. Americans. Participants from Mexico and the United States engaged in a reverse correlation task, selecting stimuli that most closely resembled a compassionate face. The selected images were aggregated and coded for the extent of sadness and happiness depicted. Additionally, participants indicated how much they wanted to avoid feeling negative and, by using an open-ended format, described what a compassionate response would entail in their view. These responses were coded for whether or not they focused on emotion sharing. Consistent with our hypotheses, Mexicans, who want to avoid feeling negative less compared to U.S. Americans, place greater importance on emotion sharing in a compassionate response. This variation is associated with Mexicans conceptualizing a compassionate face as one that portrays more sadness and less happiness compared to U.S. Americans. People in different cultural contexts have different views about what compassion might entail. Understanding and embracing these cultural differences in compassion can help us navigate our increasingly multicultural world, fostering more meaningful connections and guiding our actions with more humility and sensitivity. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-88b073317e774c40a9c2d463a8c7f17f |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 2076-328X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
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| series | Behavioral Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-88b073317e774c40a9c2d463a8c7f17f2025-06-25T13:28:56ZengMDPI AGBehavioral Sciences2076-328X2025-05-0115673210.3390/bs15060732Compassion in Mexico and the United States: Unpacking Cultural DifferencesNaomi Hernandez0Liam Llerena1Evita Morales2Jack Tillman3David Ruiz Mendez4Birgit Koopmann-Holm5Department of Psychology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA 95053, USADepartment of Psychology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA 95053, USADepartment of Psychology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA 95053, USADepartment of Psychology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA 95053, USAFacultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tlalnepantla 54090, MexicoDepartment of Psychology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA 95053, USAPrevious research indicates that cultural variations exist in conceptualizations of compassion, potentially attributable to the extent to which individuals in diverse cultural settings want to avoid (versus accept) feeling negative emotions and the significance they place on emotion sharing as a component of compassion. The present study investigates the conceptualization of compassion among individuals in Mexico and the United States, aiming to understand why these cultural differences occur. We hypothesized that Mexicans (1) would want to avoid feeling negative less, (2) would consequently regard emotion sharing as a more critical element of a compassionate response, and (3) would therefore conceptualize a compassionate face as one that mirrors sadness more and expresses happiness less compared to U.S. Americans. Participants from Mexico and the United States engaged in a reverse correlation task, selecting stimuli that most closely resembled a compassionate face. The selected images were aggregated and coded for the extent of sadness and happiness depicted. Additionally, participants indicated how much they wanted to avoid feeling negative and, by using an open-ended format, described what a compassionate response would entail in their view. These responses were coded for whether or not they focused on emotion sharing. Consistent with our hypotheses, Mexicans, who want to avoid feeling negative less compared to U.S. Americans, place greater importance on emotion sharing in a compassionate response. This variation is associated with Mexicans conceptualizing a compassionate face as one that portrays more sadness and less happiness compared to U.S. Americans. People in different cultural contexts have different views about what compassion might entail. Understanding and embracing these cultural differences in compassion can help us navigate our increasingly multicultural world, fostering more meaningful connections and guiding our actions with more humility and sensitivity.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/6/732compassioncultureavoided negative affectMexicoUnited States |
| spellingShingle | Naomi Hernandez Liam Llerena Evita Morales Jack Tillman David Ruiz Mendez Birgit Koopmann-Holm Compassion in Mexico and the United States: Unpacking Cultural Differences Behavioral Sciences compassion culture avoided negative affect Mexico United States |
| title | Compassion in Mexico and the United States: Unpacking Cultural Differences |
| title_full | Compassion in Mexico and the United States: Unpacking Cultural Differences |
| title_fullStr | Compassion in Mexico and the United States: Unpacking Cultural Differences |
| title_full_unstemmed | Compassion in Mexico and the United States: Unpacking Cultural Differences |
| title_short | Compassion in Mexico and the United States: Unpacking Cultural Differences |
| title_sort | compassion in mexico and the united states unpacking cultural differences |
| topic | compassion culture avoided negative affect Mexico United States |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/6/732 |
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