The Northern Temperament

The Northern Temperament: Communication of Emotions in Northern Cultures

Are northerners truly dour, stoical and reserved in temperament, as popular stereotypes suggest? This programme investigated the nature of emotional expression in northern cultures by applying a wide range of methods and expertise drawn from clinical psychiatry, the arts, psychology, education, computing, medical and social sciences.

It aimed to establish the nature of cultural differences in emotional expression using anthropological, computational linguistic, psychometric, and psychophysical techniques. It also sought to determine the associations these factors have with health care (such as identifying depressive disorder) and health and wellbeing, as the latter relates to appreciation of the potentially harsh yet often beautiful northern environment.

Projects

• An Ethnographic Study of Northern Cultural Performance
• Positive Aesthetic of Appreciation of Seasonal Variations in Light and Weather in the Visual Arts of Northern Places
• A Psychometric Investigation of Cultural Variations in Expression of Emotions in Northern Places
• Northern Facial Expressions

People

Former Programme Director - Dr Isobel Cameron
Clinical Research Centre, Royal Cornhill Hospital
email: isobel.cameron@abdn.ac.uk

Research Fellow - Dr James Cusack

• View a full list of Northern Temperament programme members