Cognition and Cognition and PerceptionPerception

Psych 448CPsych 448C

11/10/0811/10/08

ObjectivesObjectives

Basic cognitive and perceptual Basic cognitive and perceptual processes may not be universal.processes may not be universal.

Holistic reasoning (middle-class, Holistic reasoning (middle-class, Western) vs. Western) vs. analyticalanalytical reasoning reasoning (middle-class, East Asian):(middle-class, East Asian):– 1. Attention to objects versus 1. Attention to objects versus

relationshipsrelationships– 2. Categorization using abstract rules 2. Categorization using abstract rules

versus versus similarity informationsimilarity information

Cultural Variations in Socio-Cognitive Processes

（ Markus & Kitayama, Psychological Review, 1991 ）

In East Asia, people tend to conceptualize “the self” as a relational and contextual existence＝ Interdependent View of Self

In North America, people tend to conceptualize “the self” as an entity detached from others and its context.＝ Independent View of Self

Self Concepts

Analytic Thought

•Origin: Greek Philosophy•The dominant patterns are observed in Euro-Americansocieties

Determinants ：Relatively mild climates; economy does not require strong social ties; nature can be easily controlled.

World View: Things exist by themselvesand can be defined by their attributes(context independent, object-oriented).

Holistic Thought•Origin: East Asian Philosophy(Taoism, Buddhism, East Asian Animism)•The dominant patterns are observable in China,Japan, Korean cultures.

Determinants:Frequently changing climate; Economy requires strong social ties.

World view: Things are inter-related. Various factors are involved in an event (context dependent, context-sensitive).

Early Social Differences in Ancient Greece Early Social Differences in Ancient Greece and Chinaand China

Social Structure:Social Structure:– China: family, village, emperorChina: family, village, emperor– Greece: city-states, kingGreece: city-states, king

Harmony in China: relationshipsHarmony in China: relationships Debate in Ancient Greece: argumentsDebate in Ancient Greece: arguments Differences in social systems remain Differences in social systems remain

between East Asians and the Westbetween East Asians and the West

Socio-Cognitive ProcessesSelf Concept

Causal AttributionAttitude Inference

Attention

The assumption of Cultural Psychology (1): Culture as a worldview shapes human socio-cognitive processes.

Biological Factors

The advanced assumption of Cultural Psychology (2): Culture as a worldview shapes even basic psychological processes, especially attention.

General Assumption in Psychology: Cultural factors are superficial or simply treated as noise.

Culture Ecological Factors

Basic Processes

Cognitive Differences Follow Cognitive Differences Follow from Social Differences:from Social Differences:

Attention and PerceptionAttention and Perception Categorization and ReasoningCategorization and Reasoning

Attention and Attention and PerceptionPerception

Attention and Memory: Attention and Memory: Masuda and Nisbett (2001)Masuda and Nisbett (2001)

Masuda and Nisbett (2001):Masuda and Nisbett (2001):

American American Participants:Participants:– Object Object – Moving ObjectsMoving Objects

Japanese Japanese Participants:Participants:– Background Background – Inert ObjectsInert Objects

Attention to the Center Figure as a Function of Time and Culture

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Attention and Memory: Attention and Memory: Recognition TaskRecognition Task

Phase 1-Judge how much you like the target animals.

Phase 2-Identify previously seen animals.

Masuda and Nisbett (2001):Masuda and Nisbett (2001):

American American Participants:Participants:– Object Object – Moving ObjectsMoving Objects– Accurate recognition Accurate recognition

of fish when of fish when background is background is changedchanged

Japanese Japanese Participants:Participants:– Background Background – Inert ObjectsInert Objects– Less accurate Less accurate

recognition of fish recognition of fish when background is when background is changedchanged

Recognition of Fish in Original and Novel Backgrounds

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Original Novel

Background

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Attention to Change:Attention to Change:

Attention to Change: Attention to Change: What has changed?What has changed?

Change Blindness:Change Blindness:

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Contextual Information

Focal Object Information

(Masuda & Nisbett, under review; Nisbett & Masuda, PNAS, 2003)

Change Blindness Results

A drawing produced by an American student

The Scenery (Picture-Drawing) Task

A drawing produced by an Asian student

Picture produced by an American Pictures produced by a Japanese

The Portrait (Picture-Taking) Task

Results of Results of The Picture-Drawing TaskThe Picture-Drawing Task

American drawings East Asian drawings N M SD N M SD t p

The ratio of the horizon 43 56.37 18.92 46 67.16 15.06 2.98 .005to the frame

The numbersof additional 43 6.19 6.94 46 10.72 12.02 2.16 .05 objects

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LaboratorySitting Model

LaboratoryStanding Model

Americans

East Asians

AtriumSitting Model

AtriumStanding Model

Results of The Picture-Taking Task

Culture and Attention ：The Rod & Frame Task

Measuring the contextdependency-The RFT(Witkin & Berry, 1977)

(Ji, Peng, & Nisbett, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2000)

Task: Making the rod vertical while ignoringthe angle of the frame.

(Ji, Peng, & Nisbett, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2000)

East Asians were sensitive to the contextual information (Frame). As a result, they made errors when the frame was angled.

For North Americans: They focused on the rod by itself. As a result, they made fewer errors when the frame was angled.

Culture and Attention ：The Frame-Line Task

（ Kitayama, Duffy, Kawamura, & Lersen, Psychological Science, 2003 ）

Absolute Task

Relative Task

East Asians performed the relative task better than the absolute task. North Americans performed the absolute task better than the relative task.

North AmericansNorth Americans East AsiansEast Asians

FISHFISH

ReportReportMain FishMain Fish Main Fish as well asMain Fish as well as

ContextContext

ANIMALANIMAL

RecognitionRecognitionThe Background The Background effect was weakeffect was weak

Influenced by theInfluenced by thechanges in changes in backgroundbackground

Change Change

ParadigmParadigmFind changes inFind changes in

Focal objectsFocal objectsFind changes inFind changes in

ContextContext

EmotionEmotionEye MovementEye Movement

Consistent JudgmentConsistent JudgmentCenter 95%Center 95%

After 1 sec somewhat goes to After 1 sec somewhat goes to

the contextthe context

Infuenced by the background Infuenced by the background Center 85% Center 85%

After 1sec>Goes to the After 1sec>Goes to the Context InformationContext Information

EstheticsEsthetics Object-OrientedObject-Oriented

(Western Perspectives,(Western Perspectives,

Portraits)Portraits)

Context-OrientedContext-Oriented

(East Asian Perspectives,(East Asian Perspectives,

Portraits with context)Portraits with context)

RFTRFT Attending to the rodAttending to the rod Attending to the Attending to the frameframe

FLTFLT AbsoluteAbsolute ＞＞ RelativeRelative AbsoluteAbsolute ＜＜ RelativeRelative

Cultural Variations in Attention: Summary

ReasoningReasoning

Object Categorization:Object Categorization:(Ji & Nisbett, 2000; Choi, Nisbett & Smith, 1999)(Ji & Nisbett, 2000; Choi, Nisbett & Smith, 1999)

Americans:Americans:– Categories:Categories:

Pig and Dog are both Pig and Dog are both examples of animalsexamples of animals

Chinese and Chinese and Koreans:Koreans:– Relationship:Relationship:

Pig eats cornPig eats corn

What goes with this ? A or B

A B

ReasoningReasoning

Differences in Similarity J udgments between Americans and East Asians

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FamilyResemblance

Cognitive StylesCognitive Styles: : Analytic vs. Holistic ReasoningAnalytic vs. Holistic Reasoning

Holistic:Holistic:– Focus on field in Focus on field in

which object is which object is locatedlocated

– Relationship b/w Relationship b/w object and field to object and field to predict and explainpredict and explain

– Absence of universal Absence of universal lawslaws

Analytic:Analytic:– Focus on object and Focus on object and

attributesattributes– Use attributes to Use attributes to

categorizecategorize– Use universal laws Use universal laws

about categories to about categories to modelmodel