Language and Organisation of Filipino Emotion Concepts: Comparing Emotion Concepts and Dimensions across Cultures

Abstract

We examined the cross-cultural comparability of emotion lexicons and their conceptual organisation. In Study 1 we derived a comprehensive list of Filipino emotion adjectives using the judgements of native speakers. In Study 2 we had Filipino-English bilinguals classify the Filipino terms into an English emotion taxonomy and concluded that the nature and range of emotion language, and hence experience, of Filipino and English speakers is similar. In Study 3 we compared Filipino emotion clusters derived from a cluster analysis of semantic similarity judgements to clusters found in other languages and to hypothesised universal or basic emotions. We identified Filipino terms and clusters corresponding to most, if not all, hypothesised basic emotions. The universality of broad Pleasantness and Arousal dimensions of affect was also supported. The results provided better support for the cross-cultural comparability of emotion concepts and experience than for a strong social constructivist view.