CULTURE AND CULTURE AND COGNITIONCOGNITION

LECTURE OUTLINELECTURE OUTLINE

I BackgroundI Background II Culture, Language and CognitionII Culture, Language and Cognition III Culture and Everyday CognitionIII Culture and Everyday Cognition IV Culture and ThoughtIV Culture and Thought

Classic ApproachesClassic ApproachesContemporary ApproachesContemporary Approaches

IV ConclusionsIV Conclusions

I BackgroundI BackgroundPropositions (Nisbett and Norenzayan, 2002):Propositions (Nisbett and Norenzayan, 2002):1.1. Some cognitive content is universal.Some cognitive content is universal.2.2. Universal contents place constraints on diversity of human thoughts.Universal contents place constraints on diversity of human thoughts.3.3. Some cognitive processes are highly susceptible to change.Some cognitive processes are highly susceptible to change.4.4. Cultures differ in the sort of inferential procedures they use for a given Cultures differ in the sort of inferential procedures they use for a given

problem.problem.5.5. Cultural differences in cognitive processes are tied to cultural differences Cultural differences in cognitive processes are tied to cultural differences

in basic assumptions.in basic assumptions.6.6. Cultural practices and cognitive processes constitute each other.Cultural practices and cognitive processes constitute each other.

=> Cultural Psychology=> Cultural Psychology SchemaSchema Cultural schemaCultural schema ScriptScript

II Culture, Language and II Culture, Language and CognitionCognition

Sapir-Whorf hypothesisSapir-Whorf hypothesis Linguistic relativityLinguistic relativity Language affects thoughtLanguage affects thought

COLOUR NAMINGCOLOUR NAMING

Berlin and Kay (1969)Berlin and Kay (1969) colour names and focal colourscolour names and focal colours

Heider and Olivier (1972)Heider and Olivier (1972) memory and focal coloursmemory and focal colours research with Dani and English speakersresearch with Dani and English speakers

Robertson, Davies & Davidoff (2000)Robertson, Davies & Davidoff (2000) naming, memory, categorizationnaming, memory, categorization research with Berinmo and English speakersresearch with Berinmo and English speakers

Naming, Memory and Naming, Memory and CategorizationCategorization

Bernimo patterns of naming and memory were Bernimo patterns of naming and memory were more highly related to each other than Bernimo more highly related to each other than Bernimo memory was to English memorymemory was to English memory

Category learning for focal vs nonfocal colour in Category learning for focal vs nonfocal colour in Bernimo did not differBernimo did not differ

Colour categorization was poorer in Bernimo Colour categorization was poorer in Bernimo speakers than English speakers speakers than English speakers

NUMBER MARKINGNUMBER MARKING

Research by Lucy (1992) and colleaguesResearch by Lucy (1992) and colleagues

Yucatec Maya and English speakersYucatec Maya and English speakers Categorization preferencesCategorization preferences

A Children’s GameA Children’s Game

A Children’s GameA Children’s Game

CODING OF SPATIAL CODING OF SPATIAL LOCATIONSLOCATIONS

Research by Levinson (1996)Research by Levinson (1996)

Guugu Yiimithirr and English speakersGuugu Yiimithirr and English speakers Differential accuracy of identifying spatial Differential accuracy of identifying spatial

locationslocations

III CULTURE AND EVERYDAY III CULTURE AND EVERYDAY COGNITIONCOGNITION

Issues in mainstream cognitive Issues in mainstream cognitive

psychology: from laboratory to everyday psychology: from laboratory to everyday cognitioncognition

Contributions of cultural psychology:Contributions of cultural psychology:“The structure and development of human psychological “The structure and development of human psychological processes are determined by humanity’s historically-processes are determined by humanity’s historically-developing, culturally mediated, practical activity.” developing, culturally mediated, practical activity.” (Vygotsky, 1979, pp.137-138)(Vygotsky, 1979, pp.137-138)

CATEGORIZATION AND CATEGORIZATION AND MEMORYMEMORY

Kpelle of Liberia: Functional and Kpelle of Liberia: Functional and taxonomic categorizationtaxonomic categorization

Categorization and memory in Kpelle Categorization and memory in Kpelle (Cole, 1974)(Cole, 1974)

Memory and oral story telling in BotswanaMemory and oral story telling in Botswana(Dube, 1982)(Dube, 1982)

Memory and mathematical skillsMemory and mathematical skills(Stevenson & Stigler, 1992: Lee & Stevenson, 1986)(Stevenson & Stigler, 1992: Lee & Stevenson, 1986)

EVERYDAY MATHEMATICSEVERYDAY MATHEMATICS

MeasurementMeasurement Volume estimation in Kpelle (Cole)Volume estimation in Kpelle (Cole) Time estimation in Indians (Saraswathi)Time estimation in Indians (Saraswathi)

Geometric principlesGeometric principles Basket weavers in Mozambique (Gerdes)Basket weavers in Mozambique (Gerdes) Carpenters in South Africa (Millroy)Carpenters in South Africa (Millroy)

Arithmetic: area estimationArithmetic: area estimation Cane cutters and supervisors in Brazil (Acioly)Cane cutters and supervisors in Brazil (Acioly)

CULTURE AND CONTEXTCULTURE AND CONTEXT

The importance of context in The importance of context in understanding cognitive processesunderstanding cognitive processes

The contributions of cultural psychologists The contributions of cultural psychologists to understanding everyday cognitionto understanding everyday cognition

=> Contextualised cognition=> Contextualised cognition

Cultural differences in cognition residemore in the contexts within which cognitive processes manifest themselvesthan in the existence of a particularprocess (such as logical memory ortheoretical responses to syllogisms) in one culture and its absence in another

Cole (1988)

IV Culture and Thought: IV Culture and Thought: Classic Perspectives Classic Perspectives

Witkin et al. (1962)Witkin et al. (1962) Cognitive style as a characteristic mode of Cognitive style as a characteristic mode of

cognitive functioningcognitive functioning Field DependenceField Dependence Field IndependenceField Independence

Field IndepenceneField Indepencene

INDEPENDENT (articulated): ability to INDEPENDENT (articulated): ability to perceive items as discrete from organized perceive items as discrete from organized ground when field is structured and to ground when field is structured and to impose structure or perceive field as impose structure or perceive field as structured if it has little organizationstructured if it has little organization

Field DependenceField Dependence

DEPENDENT (global): ability to perceive DEPENDENT (global): ability to perceive object and field holistically, to see the object and field holistically, to see the whole as dominating its parts, to see items whole as dominating its parts, to see items within field as fused with ground within field as fused with ground

Culture and Cognitive StylesCulture and Cognitive Styles

FIELD DEPENDENCE AND FIELD DEPENDENCE AND CHILD-REARINGCHILD-REARING

Study of boys and their mothers (Witkin): Study of boys and their mothers (Witkin):

Field independence fostered by mothers Field independence fostered by mothers who allowed separation, were not overly who allowed separation, were not overly protective, facilitated impulse control, and protective, facilitated impulse control, and were themselves self assuredwere themselves self assured

CROSS-CULTURAL STUDIESCROSS-CULTURAL STUDIES

Dawson: Temne and Mende of Sierra Dawson: Temne and Mende of Sierra

LeoneLeone Berry: Temne and Eskimo Berry: Temne and Eskimo

IV CULTURE AND THOUGHT: IV CULTURE AND THOUGHT: CONTEMPORARY CONTEMPORARY APPROACHESAPPROACHES

Nisbett argues that social differences affect Nisbett argues that social differences affect beliefs about the world, including ontology beliefs about the world, including ontology and epistemology, and in turn, cognitive and epistemology, and in turn, cognitive processesprocesses

GREECEGREECE CHINA CHINA

Personal freedom and Personal freedom and agencyagency

DebateDebate Discovery of rulesDiscovery of rules LogicLogic ScienceScience ReductionistReductionist

HarmonyHarmony Reciprocal relationsReciprocal relations Social obligationsSocial obligations DialecticsDialectics EthicsEthics TechnologyTechnology HolisticHolistic

HOLISTIC THOUGHTHOLISTIC THOUGHT

As involving an orientation to context orfield as a whole, including relationshipsbetween a focal object and the field, and a preference for explaining and predicting events on the basis of such relationships

ANALYTIC THOUGHTANALYTIC THOUGHT

As involving detachment of the object and its context, a tendency to focus on the attributes of the object and to assignit to categories, and a preference for using rules about the categories to explain and predict the object’s behaviour

Greek and Chinese ScienceGreek and Chinese Science

China:China: Continuity Continuity FieldField Relationships and Relationships and

similaritiessimilarities DialecticsDialectics

Experience-based Experience-based knowledgeknowledge

Greece:Greece: DiscretenessDiscreteness ObjectObject Categories and RulesCategories and Rules

Foundational principles Foundational principles and rulesand rules

Abstract AnalysisAbstract Analysis

CROSS-CULTURAL CROSS-CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN COGNITIONDIFFERENCES IN COGNITION

AttentionAttention Field dependenceField dependence ControlControl Prediction and hindsight biasPrediction and hindsight bias ClassificationClassification Knowledge and logicKnowledge and logic Dialectics and non-contradictionDialectics and non-contradiction

Differences in AttentionDifferences in Attention

Embedded FigureEmbedded Figure

QUESTIONQUESTION

How similar or different are comparative How similar or different are comparative classic and contemporary approaches to classic and contemporary approaches to culture and cognition?culture and cognition?

How do differences in cognitive styles How do differences in cognitive styles affect the assessment of cognitive affect the assessment of cognitive abilities?abilities?