Cultural Dimensions of Emotion Recognition: Navarasa Theory and the Reading the Mind Eye Test (RMET) in Indian Samples

Abstract

Background: A core requirement for social interaction and theory of mind is the identification of emotions. Created with the use of Western psychology, RMET has been widely used for assessing this skill. The concept of Navarasa Theory was articulated by Bharata Muni in his work the Nāṭyaśāstra. The aim of the study was to explore how Indian participants employed RMET to identify emotions and further analyse their response using the Navarasa theory. Method: Data collected from 40 Indian samples (8 women and 12 men; aged between 24 and 35 years) through the online survey using Google Forms. Participants completed a 36-item form of the original RMET. In this study, frequency analysis was conducted to determine recognition. Results: Emotions belong to the category of Śṛṅgāra (love/affection) scored highest, followed by Raudra (anger/irritation) and Bhayānka (fear/anxiety; e.g., Hostile, Tentative, Cautious). Static images may be more difficult to interpret since, in the case of moderately familiar emotions, there would also be a reason to consider that states are less clear or easier to confuse for unknown feelings.