Cognitive Differences Accounting for Cross-cultural Variation in Perceptions of Healthy Eating

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 116-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariya Voytyuk ◽  
Daniel Hruschka
Keyword(s):  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Cultural Variation ◽  
Cultural Groups ◽  
Cognitive Differences ◽  
Holistic Thinking ◽  
Cross Cultural Differences ◽  
Basic Cognition

What counts as healthy eating varies both within and across cultures. While people often focus on specific foods and nutrients, the timing and style of eating (eating context) can also be an important consideration, and one that appears to vary across cultures. One possible explanation for this variation is differences in basic cognition, with holistic thinking in collectivist cultures favouring contextual factors. We assess this hypothesis by examining perceptions between two cultural groups that vary in collectivism. In study 1, we investigate whether residents of Ukraine place more importance on considerations of eating context than residents of the usa. In study 2, we test whether this between-country difference is due to the mediating effect of individual differences in collectivism. Ukrainian participants consistently placed more importance on context (Cohen’s d = 0.71–0.84; p < 0.01) and were more collectivist (Cohen’s d = 0.95, p < 0.001). A mediation analysis shows that collectivism significantly mediates the effect of nationality on context endorsement, and renders the effect of nationality non-significant (p > 0.05). These results suggest that the holistic pattern of attention might extend to the domain of nutrition and may account for some cross-cultural differences in perceptions of healthy eating. We briefly discuss the benefits of perception focused on the context of eating, such as decreased burden of self-regulation in a food-rich environment.

scholarly journals The Life History of Learning Subsistence Skills among Hadza and BaYaka Foragers from Tanzania and the Republic of Congo

Human Nature ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheina Lew-Levy ◽  
Erik J. Ringen ◽  
Alyssa N. Crittenden ◽  
Ibrahim A. Mabulla ◽  
Tanya Broesch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Task Difficulty ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Age Of Acquisition ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Variation ◽  
Republic Of Congo ◽  
Cross Cultural Differences ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Republic

AbstractAspects of human life history and cognition, such as our long childhoods and extensive use of teaching, theoretically evolved to facilitate the acquisition of complex tasks. The present paper empirically examines the relationship between subsistence task difficulty and age of acquisition, rates of teaching, and rates of oblique transmission among Hadza and BaYaka foragers from Tanzania and the Republic of Congo. We further examine cross-cultural variation in how and from whom learning occurred. Learning patterns and community perceptions of task difficulty were assessed through interviews. We found no relationship between task difficulty, age of acquisition, and oblique transmission, and a weak but positive relationship between task difficulty and rates of teaching. While same-sex transmission was normative in both societies, tasks ranked as more difficult were more likely to be transmitted by men among the BaYaka, but not among the Hadza, potentially reflecting cross-cultural differences in the sexual division of subsistence and teaching labor. Further, the BaYaka were more likely to report learning via teaching, and less likely to report learning via observation, than the Hadza, possibly owing to differences in socialization practices.

scholarly journals Revealed Traits: A Novel Method for Estimating Cross-Cultural Similarities and Differences in Personality

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 554-586 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cory K. Costello ◽  
Dustin Wood ◽  
William Tov
Keyword(s):  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Revealed Preferences ◽  
Cultural Groups ◽  
Cross Cultural Differences ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Cultural Research ◽  
Or Groups ◽  
Novel Method

Cross-cultural research on personality has often led to surprising and countertheoretical findings, which have led to concerns over the validity of country-level estimates of personality (e.g., Heine, Buchtel, & Norenzayan, 2008). The present study explores how cross-cultural differences can be indexed via revealed trait estimates, which index the personality traits of individuals or groups indirectly through their likelihood of responding in particular ways to particular situations. In two studies, we measure self-reports of personality, revealed traits, and revealed preferences for different expected effects (e.g., experiencing excitement) of two cultural groups (U.S. and Singaporean participants). We found typical East–West differences in personality using self-report scales, such as lower levels of Conscientiousness- and Extraversion-related characteristics among Singaporean participants relative to U.S. participants. We found evidence of scale use extremity differences in self-report personality scales but not in revealed trait estimates. Using revealed traits, we found evidence of strikingly high levels of similarity in terms of overall action endorsement, revealed trait estimates, and revealed preferences. However, this was qualified by consistent differences in revealed trait estimates of Extraversion-related characteristics and less consistent differences in revealed trait estimates of Conscientiousness-related characteristics. We also found consistent differences in preferences for different expected effects; for example, Singaporean participants reported lower likelihood of performing actions expected to result in experiencing stimulation or excitement than U.S. participants. Results suggest that similarities in action endorsements and revealed traits may be driven by common preferences for social inclusion and benevolence, and differences may be driven by differing preferences for expending effort, experiencing stimulation, and social attention.

Real space and represented space: Cross-cultural perspectives

1989 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. B. Deregowski
Keyword(s):  
Space Perception ◽  
Real Space ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Picture Perception ◽  
Cultural Groups ◽  
Pictorial Space ◽  
Cultural Perspectives ◽  
Cross Cultural Differences ◽  
Representational Space ◽  
Perceptual Illusions

AbstractThis paper examines the contribution of cross-cultural studies to our understanding of the perception and representation of space. A cross-cultural survey of the basic difficulties in understanding pictures—ranging from the failure to recognise a picture as a representation to the inability to recognise the object represented in the picture— indicates that similar difficulties occur in pictorial and nonpictorial cultrues. The experimental work on pictorial space derives from two distinct traditions: the study of picture perception in “remote” populations and the study of the perceptual illusions. A comprison of the findings on pictorial space perception with those on real space perceptual illusions. A comparison of findings on pictorial space perception with those on real space perception and perceptual constancy suggersts that cross-cultural differences in the perception of both real and representational space involve two different types of skills: those related exclusively to either real space or representational space, and those related to both. Different cultural groups use different skills to perform the same perceptual tasks.

PRIORITIES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: PERSPECTIVES, DECISION-MAKING, AND EMPATHY

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Afton Nelson ◽  
Kristijan Civljak ◽  
Heather Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Present Article ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Groups ◽  
Response Distribution ◽  
Cross Cultural Differences ◽  
Subjective Reports

The rapid and ongoing evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in reactionary decision-making and emphasized discord arising from uncertainty. Given that countries have dealt with the pandemic quite differently thus far, it was relevant to explore the undertones of decision-making, as well as the perspectives of the individuals who are affected. The study aimed to investigate the role of confidence and decision-making in pandemic behaviors as well as related pandemic perspectives. The present article discusses findings concerning pandemic-specific decision-making, the influence of empathy on decision-making, and qualitative reports from respondents. The analyzed sample included 561 respondents divided into three cultural groups based on response distribution, geography, and general cultural categorizations (e.g., Western vs. non-Western). The findings revealed insights into the decision-making of pandemic consequences, as well as a lack of cross-cultural differences within the sample. Subjective reports highlighted key themes including trust in science, prevention and preparedness, and suggested next steps from the respondents’ perspectives. These findings from across the globe call for further investigation into cross-cultural decision-making in the pandemic.

The role of social eye-gaze in children’s and adults’ ownership attributions to robotic agents in three cultures

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Kanngiesser ◽  
Shoji Itakura ◽  
Yue Zhou ◽  
Takayuki Kanda ◽  
Hiroshi Ishiguro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Eye Gaze ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Variation ◽  
Social Agents ◽  
Human Interactions ◽  
Cross Cultural Differences ◽  
Social Gaze ◽  
Social Attributions ◽  
Human Participants

Young children often treat robots as social agents after they have witnessed interactions that can be interpreted as social. We studied in three experiments whether four-year-olds from three cultures (China, Japan, UK) and adults from two cultures (Japan, UK) will attribute ownership of objects to a robot that engages in social gaze with a human. Participants watched videos of robot-human interactions, in which objects were possessed or new objects were created. Children and adults applied the same ownership rules to humans and robots – irrespective of whether the robot engaged in social gaze or not. However, there was cultural variation in the types of ownership rules used. In Experiment 3, we removed further social cues, finding that just showing a pair of self-propelled robot-arms elicited ownership attributions. The role of social gaze in social attributions to robots and cross-cultural differences in ownership understanding are discussed.

scholarly journals Enhanced Cognitive Flexibility in the Seminomadic Himba

2018 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah M. Pope ◽  
Joël Fagot ◽  
Adrien Meguerditchian ◽  
David A. Washburn ◽  
William D. Hopkins
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Educational Background ◽  
Strategy Use ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cognitive Set ◽  
Cultural Variation ◽  
Solution Strategy ◽  
Viable Option ◽  
Cross Cultural Differences

Through codified rule-use, humans can accurately solve many problems. Yet, mechanized strategies can also be costly. After adopting a solution strategy, humans often become blind to alternatives, even when those alternatives are more efficient. Termed cognitive set, this failure to switch from a familiar strategy to a better alternative has been considered universally human. Yet, our understanding of this phenomenon is derived almost exclusively from Western subjects. In this study, we used the nonverbal Learned Strategy–Direct Strategy (LS-DS) touchscreen task in which subjects are presented with an opportunity to use either a learned strategy or a more efficient, but novel, shortcut. We found that the remote, seminomadic Himba of northern Namibia exhibited enhanced shortcut-use on the LS-DS task, challenging the claim that cognitive set affects humans universally. In addition, we found that altering subjects’ conceptualization of the shortcut as a viable option significantly enhanced its subsequent use in Western but not Himba participants. We discuss how other aspects of cultural variation, namely, environmental uncertainty and educational background, might contribute to the observed cross-cultural differences in flexible strategy-use.

Micro-cultural influences on theory of mind development

2013 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 266-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ike Anggraika Kuntoro ◽  
Liliek Saraswati ◽  
Candida Peterson ◽  
Virginia Slaughter
Keyword(s):  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Middle Class ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Cultural Influences ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
False Belief ◽  
Cultural Variation ◽  
Cultural Groups ◽  
Class Groups ◽  
Life Circumstances

We investigated cultural influences on young children’s acquisition of social-cognitive concepts. A theory of mind (ToM) scale (Wellman & Liu, 2004) was given to 129 children (71 boys, 58 girls) ranging in age from 3 years 0 months to 7 years 10 months. The children were from three distinct cultural groups: (a) trash pickers ( pemulung) living a subsistence lifestyle in Jakarta, Indonesia; (b) middle-class Jakartans living and attending preschools within 5 km of the pemulung group; and (c) middle-class Australians. All children were individually tested in their native language. Cross-group comparisons revealed no significant differences among the three groups in mastery of false belief (the traditional ToM indicator), despite their widely different socio-economic circumstances. However, the pemulung children were slower than the two middle-class groups in mastering two other ToM concepts, namely knowledge access and emotion concealment. These findings shed new light on patterns of cross-cultural consistency in false-belief mastery, as well as revealing cross-cultural variation in other ToM concepts that plausibly reflect variation in children’s everyday life circumstances.

Cross-cultural differences in children's emotional reactions to a disappointing situation

2007 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia T. Garrett-Peters ◽  
Nathan A. Fox
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Emotional Reactions ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Positive Trend ◽  
Cultural Variation ◽  
Older Children ◽  
Negative Behaviors ◽  
Cross Cultural Differences ◽  
Social Monitoring ◽  
Statistical Trends

Cross-cultural differences in emotional expressions following disappointment were examined in 59 Chinese American (CA) and 58 European American (EA) children. Children aged four or seven participated in a disappointing gift situation. Dimensions of expressive behaviors following disappointment were coded and included positive, negative, social monitoring, and tension behaviors. Significant main effects emerged for ethnicity and age, with EA children and older children demonstrating more positive behaviors than CA children and younger children, respectively. Younger children also demonstrated significantly more negative behaviors than older children. This main effect was qualified by a nearly significant age by ethnicity interaction, indicating developmental differences in the negative expressions for the EA group, but not for the CA group. Among the CA group, child adaptation of Western values was inversely associated with negative expressions, and a positive trend was found for positive expressions. Statistical trends were also found in which boys demonstrated more negative behaviors than girls and in which EA children demonstrated more total expressive behaviors than CA children. Implications of these findings are discussed with regard to cultural and familial processes, as well as cultural variation in children's cognitions about emotions.

scholarly journals Enhanced cognitive flexibility in the semi-nomadic Himba

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Pope ◽  
Joel Fagot ◽  
Adrien Meguerditchian ◽  
David Washburn ◽  
William D. Hopkins
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Educational Background ◽  
Strategy Use ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cognitive Set ◽  
Cultural Variation ◽  
Solution Strategy ◽  
Viable Option ◽  
Cross Cultural Differences

Through codified rule-use humans can accurately solve many problems. Yet, mechanized strategies can also be costly. After adopting a solution strategy, humans often become blind to alternatives, even when those alternatives are more efficient. Termed cognitive set, this failure to switch from a familiar strategy to a better alternative has been considered universally human. Yet, our understanding of this phenomenon is derived almost exclusively from Western subjects. In this study, we used the nonverbal Learned Strategy-Direct Strategy (LS-DS) touch screen task in which subjects are presented with an opportunity to either use a learned strategy or a more efficient, but novel, shortcut. We found that the remote, seminomadic Himba of northern Namibia exhibited enhanced shortcut-use on the LS-DS task, challenging the claim that cognitive set affects humans universally. Additionally, we found that altering subjects’ conceptualization of the shortcut as a viable option significantly enhanced its subsequent use in Western but not Himba participants. We discuss how other aspects of cultural variation, namely environmental uncertainty and educational background, might contribute to the observed cross-cultural differences in flexible strategy-use.

scholarly journals Perception of facial emotional expressions by representatives of Asian and European cultural groups

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 116-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y.G. Khoze ◽  
O.A. Korolkova ◽  
N.Yu. Zhizhnikova ◽  
M.V. Zubareva
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Cultural Study ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Emotional Expressions ◽  
Cultural Group ◽  
Cultural Groups ◽  
Basic Emotions ◽  
Cross Cultural Differences ◽  
Cross Cultural Study

The article presents the results of a cross-cultural study of the perception of basic emotional expressions by representatives of Asian and European cultural groups and compares them with the results obtained earlier on Russian sample. Emotional expressions from VEPEL database (Kurakova, 2012) were used as stimuli. We revealed invariant perception within a cultural group and cross-cultural differences in perception of the basic emotions of fear, disgust and anger between Asian and Russian cultural groups; in perception of surprise, fear, disgust and anger between European and Russian cultural groups; and in perception of fear, sadness, disgust and anger between European and Asian cultural groups.

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