These patterns occur across many cultures, although not consistently. Whether the act of helping another person creates obligations and debts varies across cultures. Social psychologists study whether helping another person without obvious rewards is based on genuine altruism or on intrinsic rewards, such as relief of negative feelings. Most of this research is done in the United States, but we would clearly expect this to be a behaviour where the answers to questions would vary across societies. The relatively egalitarian gender relations in Western societies contrasts with quite unequal relations in some Islamic countries.
Rules restraining the expression of negative emotions are stronger in collectivist cultures.
This is likely the basis of the stereotype of the 'inscrutable Oriental'.