Causal Attribution and Emotion Expression of Suffering Among Southeast Asian Indigenous Peoples: A Systematic Review Study

Abstract

Indigenous people, particularly minorities in Southeast Asia (SEA), often face hardships due to colonization, displacement, and deforestation. However, studies on their subjective suffering experiences are sparse. Therefore, the present study aimed to conduct a systemic review of literature concerning SEA indigenous people’s cognition and emotion in suffering events. A rigorous literature search following PRISMA guidelines was conducted on the following databases–Scopus, EbscoHost, Ovid (PsychArticles and PsycInfo), Proquest. Embase, Ovid Medline, and Google Scholar using keyword categories for “SEA,” “cognition” or “emotion,” and “suffering events.” The initial search resulted in 6,383 articles, but only 11 empirical studies (containing qualitative or quantitative original data) were included after careful screening. Next, a thematic synthesis method was used to summarize the findings. Two themes of causal attribution of suffering were identified—supernatural reasons and negative impact of interactions with outsiders. Four themes of emotional expression of suffering were identified—physical actions and gestures, communal practices, somatic symptoms, and behavior adaptations. Our findings correspond with the ecological rationality theory, where indigenous people still function as strong-ties societies that capitalize on external-oriented mental strategies and cognitive styles. The identification of unique forms of cognition and modes of emotional expression holds implications toward building an equitable humanistic psychology.