Work

The Origin of Cultural Differences in Cognition

Year: 2010

Type: article

Abstract: A large body of research documents cognitive differences between Westerners and East Asians. Westerners tend to be more analytic and East Asians tend to be more holistic. These findings have often been explained as being due to corresponding differences in social orientation. Westerners are more independent and Easterners are more interdependent. However, comparisons of the cognitive tendencies of Westerners and East Asians do not allow us to rule out alternative explanations for the cognitive differences, such as linguistic and genetic differences, as well as cultural differences other than social orientation. In this review we summarize recent developments which provide stronger support for the social orientation hypothesis.

Source: Current Directions in Psychological Science

DOI: 10.1177/0963721409359301

Authors: Michael E. W. Varnum, Igor Grossmann, Shinobu Kitayama, Richard E. Nisbett

Institution: University of Michigan

Language: English

Topic: Cultural Differences and Values

Subfield: Social Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institute on Aging

Award: Aging, Social Interdependence and Wisdom in the U.S. and Japan