How do moral values learned in a society shape emotional reactions?

Moral values learned within a society fundamentally shape emotional reactions by determining the causes, content, and appropriate expression of emotions. Because all emotions involve cognition, they are inherently influenced by the evaluative concepts of right and wrong that a group establishes.1

Social structures dictate these reactions in several ways:

• Contextual Triggers: Different societies determine which circumstances provoke specific emotions. For instance, an event that causes terror in one culture may only elicit bemusement in another.1
• Display Rules: Societies enforce local "display rules" that govern which emotions are appropriate to show in specific public or private settings.1
• Cognitive Development: As children mature, they develop moral standards that allow for complex emotional experiences. For example, the capacity to feel guilt requires the cognitive ability to recognize that one has violated a moral standard and could have inhibited that action.2
• Moral Affect: Empathy and social awareness are central to moral psychology, where the inhibition of aggressive behavior is often driven by moral affect rather than just the fear of punishment.34

Ultimately, culture and social differences define not only how we interpret emotions but also which emotions are considered appropriate to experience.1