Which concept claims that certain emotional expressions are recognized similarly across cultures?

• A. Display Rules
• B. Elicitors
• C. Universal Emotions
• D. Broaden-and-Build

Answer: (C)

Universal emotions describe the idea that certain facial expressions are recognized similarly across cultures. This view holds that basic emotions have biologically based expressions that people everywhere can read, pointing to a shared human psychology and evolutionary roots. Research across diverse cultures shows consistent recognition of emotions like happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise, and disgust, supporting the notion of cross-cultural universality. At the same time, cultural display rules influence how openly or in what contexts these expressions are shown, but they don’t erase the ability to recognize them. Other concepts address different ideas: display rules cover social norms for expressing feelings; elicitors are triggers that provoke emotions; and the Broaden-and-Build theory explains how positive emotions broaden attention and build resources. So the idea that certain emotional expressions are recognized similarly across cultures aligns with universal emotions.