Display Rules

The role of emotional expression is an essential part of human social interaction and emotional displays refer to the outward expression of emotions (Matsumoto, 2006). However, emotional expressions can be controlled in order to mask what individuals truly feel and this is known as “Display Rule” (Gnepp and Hess, 1986). The understanding of display rules and emotional expression is of paramount importance as it affects human interaction and the relationship between self and other. Display rules refer to a set of social norms prescribing the appropriateness of expressing an emotion in particular situations (Saarni, 1999). This means that according to the situation, individuals may choose not to disclose their real feelings, but express an alternative emotion to conceal what they truly feel. It has been established that the regulation of emotions is largely affected by social context (Zaalberg , Manstead & Fischer, 2004). As such, display rules are not culturally universal, but subjected to specific set of norms of different cultures. For example, in a relatively collectivistic environment which emphasises the maintenance of cohesion within the group, control of emotion has high priority (Potter, 1988). On the flipside, children brought up in more individualistic environment such as Western cultures, tend to express their emotions without regulation as freedom of expression is endorsed. Thus, cultural display rules are culturally prescribed rules that influence the emotional expression of people, depending on what is characterized as acceptable and unacceptable in that society (Matsumoto, Kasri, & Kooken, 1999). Cultural display rules tend to be pro-social in nature as it seeks to protect the feelings of another person (e.g. don’t laugh at the bald man, he might be offended), it can also be self-protective. Self-protective display rules refer to regulating emotions for personal benefits (Ekman & Friesen, 1975) and to protect themselves (e.g. don’t

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