culture and cognition. lecture outline i background i background ii culture, language and cognition...
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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?