Protestant and Buddhist differences in noninfluence strategies of emotion regulation and their links to depressive symptoms.

The present research proposes that Buddhist teachings involve a noninfluence emotion regulation strategy, an emotion regulation strategy that consists of individuals not influencing their emotions in any way, more so than do Protestant teachings. We examined religious teachings surrounding the strategy, practitioners' use of the strategy, and its links with depression. Further, the nature of this noninfluence strategy was explored. Across 3 studies that used student, community, and online samples, results showed that in fact Buddhist practitioners were more likely than were Protestant practitioners to report that their religion teaches them to use noninfluence strategies of emotion regulation, and that they use noninfluence strategies of emotion regulation. Moreover, the use of noninfluence emotion regulation strategies was predictive of lower depressive symptoms across both religions (Studies 1 and 2). In addition, it was found that to practitioners, noninfluence strategies of emotion regulation are active, purposeful strategies and, especially to Buddhist practitioners, they involve acceptance of emotions (Study 2). Furthermore, religion was indirectly linked to the behavioral preference for a noninfluence strategy through the self-reported general use of a noninfluence emotion regulation strategy (Study 3). Implications for research on religion, self-regulation, and mental health are briefly discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Culturally contingent situated cognition: influencing other people fosters analytic perception in the United States but not in Japan.

Interpersonal influence and interpersonal adjustment play crucial roles in structuring social interactions. However, not much is known about whether their consequences are culturally contingent. We hypothesized that in order to effectively influence others, people need to employ a perceptual style that serves their cultural imperative. Specifically, we predicted that in the United States, interpersonal influence fosters an analytic, context-independent perceptual style that helps people focus on their goal; however, in Japan, where the cultural imperative is to attend to other people and fit into social contexts, this pattern may be absent or reversed. In two studies, we tested this hypothesis by measuring interpersonal interactions (Study 1) and then by manipulating interpersonal interactions (Study 2). Overall, the findings support a culturally contingent situated-cognition approach, which highlights not only interpersonal underpinnings of perceptual styles but also the role that culture plays in ascribing meaning to interpersonal interactions.