The authors of your text present a study by Masuda and his colleagues (2008) that examined cultural differences in social percep
tion. They compared how participants perceived a central character when the surrounding characters in a picture either matched or mismatched the central character's facial expression. When the central and peripheral characters' expressions did not match, Japanese participants were most likely to __________.
Answer: avoid emmiting opinion about what was the main feeling being expressed in the act by the characters for being unsure in identifying what exactly would the facial expressions mean.
Explanation: According to these authors surveys - in which Masuda is one of them - oriental individuals, including the japanese, are more used to recognizing the situational motivation and overall mood when there is a more explicit balance of expressions on the characters. This social characteristic could be better understood if you can conceive their prioritization on group value, mood and will, in comparison to the importance of lone individual or inner self expression, more common in ocidental world culture. It is even stated that, in japanese culture, adapting your self expression to the group´s line is considered to be a sign of maturity and appropriateness in social conduct.
