Patricia M Rodriguez Mosquera | Wesleyan University (original) (raw)

Publications by Patricia M Rodriguez Mosquera

The Oxford Encyclopedia of Social Psychology, 2024

Honor is complex, deeply relational, and important in many cultures and social groups. A definiti... more Honor is complex, deeply relational, and important in many cultures and social groups. A definition of honor as multifaceted and consisting of a set of interrelated honor codes, i.e., the honor-as-multifaceted approach to honor, is presented and discussed by Rodriguez Mosquera. This definition provides researchers the conceptual boundaries of honor as a construct as well as methodological guidelines on how to operationalize honor in empirical research. Furthermore, the honor-as-multifaceted approach provides researchers with a definition of cultures of honor as those in which honor codes become culturally shared psychological concerns that individuals evaluate as important to their self-esteem and self-concept, thereby influencing their cognitions, motivations, emotions, and behaviors. The Honor Scale measures honor codes in line with this definition. A review of existing empirical research on honor in a wide variety of cultures and social groups is also presented and discussed. Some of the work reviewed is cross-cultural in nature, whereas other work focuses on how honor operates in particular cultures or social groups (e.g., British Muslims; Moroccan Dutch and Turkish Dutch youth; Southern Italian criminal organizations; the Canadian Army). The reviewed research provides empirical support for the honor-as-multifaceted approach and demonstrates the centrality of honor codes in a variety of psychological and social processes, including personality, the negotiation of gendered roles within the family, attitudes toward in-group members, emotions in response to threats to collective honor, intergroup conflict, the negotiation of power in intergroup relations, in-group identification processes, and prosocial motivations. Thus, the reviewed research shows that honor codes play an important role in processes at the different levels of analysis typically studied in the social sciences—individual, interpersonal, group, cultural—thereby making honor an important topic of inquiry for psychologists and other social scientists. Avenues for future research are also discussed.

Language and Emotion. An International Handbook, 2023

Emotional experiences, and the language we use to express these experiences,are not culture-free.... more Emotional experiences, and the language we use to express these experiences,are not culture-free. Emotional experiences always occur in a cultural context that gives meaning to these experiences. Cultures value some emotions over others, and this selective valuation of emotions affects how emotion language is used in everyday social interactions. This chapter’s main argument is that emotion language is grounded in culture. Emotion language carries cultural meaning as it reflects shared cultural values and shared ethnotheories (beliefs, assumptions, attitudes) about emotions. This main argument is illustrated by research examples from cultural psychology and anthropology. These research examples use different methodological approaches, and also cover a variety of cultures, languages, and emotions. Taken together, the research reviewed shows that the meaning, and everyday use of emotion language, cannot be fully understood outside of its cultural context. In addition, the research reviewed shows that the study of emotion language provides rich and important information about how members of different cultures think about, experience, and regulate emotions.

The Moral Psychology of Envy, 2022

European Review of Social Psychology. , 2018

I present a conceptual and methodological approach that views emotion as immersed in culture and ... more I present a conceptual and methodological approach that views emotion as immersed in culture and driven by cultural concerns. These cultural concerns include a desire for positive social-image (e.g., honor), as well as values regarding preferred relations between the individual and the group (e.g., vertical individualism and horizontal collectivism). The research I present covers a wide range of emotions about being valued (e.g., pride and happiness) and devalued (e.g., sadness, fear, and shame) by others in a wide range of cultures, with a special focus on understudied populations in psychology (e.g., Pakistanis; Turkish, Moroccan, and Bangladeshi cultural minorities in Europe; and Muslim minorities in the U.S. and Europe). This research also covers diverse aspects of emotions, including appraisal, motivations, and actions.

Cognition and Emotion, 2018

Two studies examined anger and shame, and their associated appraisals and behavioral intentions, ... more Two studies examined anger and shame, and their associated appraisals and behavioral intentions, in response to harm to an in-group's social-image. In Study 1, 37 British Muslims (18 men, 19 women) reported incidents in which they were devalued as Muslims. In Study 2, 108 British Muslims (57 females, 50 males, 1 undisclosed) were presented with objective evidence of their in-group's devaluation: the controversial cartoons about Prophet Muhammad The appraisal of harm to social-image predicted anger and shame (Studies 1 and 2), whereas the appraisal of offense only predicted anger (Study 2). Anger was a more empowering response than shame, as anger predicted willingness for public confrontation (Studies 1 & 2), institutional punishment (Study 2), and written disapproval (Study 2). In contrast, shame only predicted written disapproval (Study 2). Furthermore, independent of individual differences in identification as Muslim, a mediation model showed that individual differences in honor orientation predicted anger and shame via the appraisals (Study 2). Implications for theory and research are discussed.

Frontiers in Psychology, 2017

We present a novel study on the role of gender in perceptions of and emotions about in-group soci... more We present a novel study on the role of gender in perceptions of and emotions about in-group social image among American Muslims. Two hundred and five (147 females, 58 males) American Muslims completed a questionnaire on how Muslims feel in U.S. society. The study measured both stereotypical (i.e., 'frightening,' 'oppressed') as well as non-stereotypical in-group social images (i.e., 'powerful,' 'honorable'). In particular, participants were asked how much they believe Muslims are seen as 'frightening,' 'oppressed,' 'honorable,' and 'powerful' in U.S. society, and how much anger and sadness they feel about the way U.S. society views Muslims. Participants believed Muslims are seen in stereotypical ways (i.e., as 'frightening' and 'oppressed') more than in non-stereotypical ways (i.e., as 'powerful' and 'honorable'). Moreover, perceived ingroup social image as 'powerful' or 'honorable' did not predict the intensity of felt anger or sadness. In contrast, the more participants believed Muslims are seen as 'frightening,' the more intense their anger and sadness. Furthermore, responses to perceived social image as 'oppressed' were moderated by gender. American Muslim female participants believed that Muslims are seen as 'oppressed' in U.S. society to a greater extent than male participants did. In addition, perceived social image as 'oppressed' only predicted anger for female participants: the more female participants believed Muslims are seen as 'oppressed,' the more intense their anger. This study contributes to the scarce literature on American Muslims in psychology, and shows that both anger and sadness are relevant to the study of perceived social image.

Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 2016

This paper presents an approach to honor as multifaceted. In this approach, honor is defined as h... more This paper presents an approach to honor as multifaceted. In this approach, honor is defined as having four different facets, or honor codes: morality-based honor, family honor, masculine honor, and feminine honor. The honor-as-multifaceted approach has generated much psychological research examining the importance of each honor code across different cultural and social groups. An overview of this research shows that that the different honor codes exert a powerful inf luence on a variety of group processes, including collective action, in-group identification, the definition of gendered roles within the family, in-group responses to threats to collective honor, intergroup attitudes, and value change within groups. The paper discusses how defining and measuring honor as multifaceted-rather than as an unitary construct-provides a fuller understanding of honor's role in group life. Honor is my touchstone. This sentence belongs to the U.S. army's cadet song (The Official Homepage of the United States Army (n.d.). Army Cadet Song. Retrieved from http:// www.army.mil/values/cadet.html). The U.S. army measures honor by a soldier's commitment to live up to the group's values of integrity, self less service, loyalty, and duty. The highest award a soldier can aspire to is the medal of honor, an award only given to those soldiers who 'make honor a matter of daily living, soldiers who develop the habit of being honorable, and solidify that habit with every value choice they make' (The Official Homepage of the United States Army (n.d.).

Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 2014

We present two studies on the consequences of threats to family honor. In Study 1, 99 Pakistanis ... more We present two studies on the consequences of threats to family honor. In Study 1, 99 Pakistanis (67 females, 30 males, 2 undisclosed) and 134 European-Americans (65 females, 69 males) reported a recent insult to their family where the offender was either a family or a nonfamily member. The insults targeted the family as collective or individual family members other than parents. Across targets, insults to one's family had more negative emotional (e.g., more intense anger, shame) and social (greater relationship strain) consequences for Pakistanis than for European-Americans. Study 2 examined whether these effects extend to insults to parents. Fifty-one Pakistanis (29 females, 22 males) and 58 European-Americans (30 females, 28 males) responded to an insult-to-parents or an insult-to-self scenario. Insults-to-parents and insultsto-self elicited similar emotional responses among Pakistanis. By contrast, European-Americans responded more negatively (e.g., more intense anger) to an insult-to-self than to an insult-toparents.

International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 2015

Individuals relate to others in ways that reflect the values, norms, beliefs, and practices of th... more Individuals relate to others in ways that reflect the values, norms, beliefs, and practices of their cultures. This article provides an overview of research themes and findings on the role of culture in interpersonal relationships. This research is typically guided by theoretical frameworks focused on individualism (and independent selves), collectivism (and interdependent selves), or honor, and is also characterized by the use of multiple methodological approaches (e.g., emotional narratives, experiments, focus groups, surveys). The reviewed research reveals profound cultural differences in various aspects of interpersonal relationships, including beliefs about friends and enemies, relationship formation and dissolution, conflict, social support seeking, and the motivation to maintain a positive image in the eyes of close others.

Cognition and Emotion, 2013

The events of 9/11 marked an increase in prejudice, discrimination, and other forms of unfair tre... more The events of 9/11 marked an increase in prejudice, discrimination, and other forms of unfair treatment toward Muslim Americans. We present a study that examined the emotions of Muslim Americans in the days preceding the ten-year 9/11 anniversary. We measured the antecedents (concerns) and consequences (coping) of sadness, fear, and anger. The 9/11 anniversary precipitated intense concerns with loss and discrimination, and intense feelings of sadness, fear, and anger. We measured three coping responses: rumination, avoidance of public places, and religious coping. Participants engaged in all three coping responses, with seeking solace in one's religion being the most frequent response. Moreover, emotions mediated the relationship between concerns and coping responses. Sadness accounted for the association between concern with loss and rumination. Fear explained the association between concern with discrimination and avoidance. Anger accounted for the association between concern with discrimination and religious coping.

Cognition and Emotion, Feb 15, 2013

We studied the relationship between perceived social image and life satisfaction in four differen... more We studied the relationship between perceived social image and life satisfaction in four different cultural groups. One-hundred nine Indian (63 females, 46 males), 67 Pakistani/Bangladeshi (36 females, 31 males), 76 White British (43 females, 33 males), and 94 European Americans (43 females, 48 males) completed measures on the cultural importance of social image, positive and negative emotions, academic achievement, and perceived social image. Indian and Pakistani/ Bangladeshi participants valued social image more than White British and European-American participants. Consistent with this value difference, a positive perceived social image predicted life satisfaction among Indian and Pakistani/Bangladeshi participants only. For these participants, perceived social image predicted life satisfaction above and beyond the effects of emotions and academic achievement. Academic achievement only predicted life satisfaction among White British and European Americans. Emotions were significant predictors of life satisfaction for all participants.

Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 2013

Honor is implicated in a variety of social psychological processes, including morality, male viol... more Honor is implicated in a variety of social psychological processes, including morality, male violence, sexuality and gender, in-group identification, responses to devaluation, and biculturalism. The papers in this Special Issue illustrate the importance of honor in these and other social-psychological processes. In addition, these papers expand and deepen our understanding of honor by presenting research on honor in a diverse array of groups (e.g., the military, law enforcement), relationship contexts (e.g., family relations, romantic relations) and countries (e.g.,

In-Mind, 2012

This paper discusses honor and its effects on emotion. The paper is divided into two parts. In th... more This paper discusses honor and its effects on emotion. The paper is divided into two parts. In the first part, the definition of honor is discussed. This section answers the questions 'what is honor?' and 'are there different types of honor?' Later, there is an overview on the ways in which honor influences emotional experiences and expressions. Throughout the paper, conclusions are reached based on honor and emotion research in Mediterranean, Northern European, North American and Middle-Eastern cultures.

The Centrality of Social Image in Social Psychology, Special Issue, Table of Contents, 2011

European Journal of Social Psychology, 2011

Social image, or the views that others have of us and our groups, plays a role in a wide array of... more Social image, or the views that others have of us and our groups, plays a role in a wide array of psychological processes, including impression management, interpersonal relationships, mate selection, intragroup and intergroup processes, the experience and expression of emotion, gender differences in behavior, and the construction and maintenance of social status. The 13 papers included in this special issue reflect the centrality of social image in these and other social-psychological processes. Five major themes integrate this diverse selection of papers: (i) self-presentation of social image; (ii) culture-specific conceptions of social image; (iii) the role of social image in emotion; (iv) respect and status as reflections of social image; and (v) the influence of social image on ingroup and outgroup perceptions. Taken together, these papers illustrate the importance of social image for understanding the complexities of human behavior and point to new ways to study this important topic.

International Journal of Social Psychology: Revista de Psicología Social, 2011

We present a study on the importance of masculine and feminine honor and attitudes towards sex ro... more We present a study on the importance of masculine and feminine honor and attitudes towards sex roles in Spain and the Netherlands. Honor is more important in Spanish than in Dutch culture. Participants were asked to rate the extent to which gender-neutral (e.g., caring for reputation) and gendered (e.g., assertiveness, modesty) honor attributes were desirable in their culture for each sex. We also measured attitudes towards sex-roles in different domains (e.g., work, marriage). The Spanish participants rated gender-neutral honor attributes as more desirable than the Dutch participants did. Both Spanish and Dutch participants rated masculine honor attributes as more desirable for men, and feminine honor attributes as more desirable for women. Participant's sex emerged as the most important predictor of attitudes towards sex roles, with males expressing more traditional attitudes than females. Taken together, the results indicate that masculine and feminine honor are expressions of pan-cultural ideals of masculinity and femininity.

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2010

We present 2 studies on being envied. Study 1 used an emotional narrative methodology. We asked 4... more We present 2 studies on being envied. Study 1 used an emotional narrative methodology. We asked 44 Spanish (23 women, 21 men) and 48 European American (36 women, 12 men) participants to tell us about a recent experience in which others envied them. We classified the antecedents, relationship context, markers of envy, coping strategies, and positive and negative implications of being envied. In Study 2, 174 Spanish (88 women, 86 men) and 205 European American (106 women, 99 men) participants responded to a situation in which they had something someone else wanted. We manipulated the object of desire (academic achievement or having "a better life"). We measured individual differences in orientation to achievement (i.e., vertical individualism), cooperation and interpersonal harmony (i.e., horizontal collectivism), a zero-sum view of success, beliefs that success begets hostile coveting, fear of success, and dispositional envy. We also measured participants' appraisals, positive and negative emotions, and coping strategies. The findings from both studies indicate that being envied has both positive (e.g., increased self-confidence) and negative consequences (e.g., fear of ill will from others). Being envied had more positive and more negative psychological and relational consequences among those participants who were achievement oriented (European Americans) than among participants who were oriented to cooperation and interpersonal harmony (Spanish).

Journal of Social …, Jan 1, 2010

In three studies, we showed that increased in-group identification after (perceived or actual) gr... more In three studies, we showed that increased in-group identification after (perceived or actual) group devaluation is an assertion of a (preexisting) positive social identity that counters the negative social identity implied in societal devaluation. Two studies with real-world groups used order manipulations to show that the (perceived or actual) devaluation of an in-group led individuals to increase their identification with this in-group. Group devaluation most strongly and consistently increased individuals' satisfaction, rather than solidarity, centrality, or the other components of measure of identification. A third study showed that giving Black Britons the opportunity to identify with this in-group immediately after evidence of its societal devaluation reduced feelings of vulnerability (but not rejection). Although there was consistent evidence of the (perceived or actual) group devaluation → group identification link, the group identification → (perceived) group devaluation link was much stronger. Implications for theory and research are discussed.

Cognition and Emotion, 2008

Insults elicit intense emotion. This study tests the hypothesis that one's social image, which is... more Insults elicit intense emotion. This study tests the hypothesis that one's social image, which is especially salient in honour cultures, influences the way in which one reacts to an insult. Seventy-seven honour-oriented and 72 non-honour oriented participants answered questions about a recent insult episode. Participants experienced both anger and shame in reaction to the insult. However, these emotions resulted in different behaviours. Anger led to verbal attack (i.e., criticising, insulting in return) among all participants. This relationship was explained by participants' motivation to punish the wrongdoer. Shame, on the other hand, was moderated by honour. Shame led to verbal disapproval of the wrongdoers behaviour, but only among the honour-oriented participants. This relationship was explained by these participants' motivation to protect their social image. By contrast, shame led to withdrawal among non-honour-oriented participants.