Analogical Representations. Symbolic Representations. Culture as Cognition. Abstract mental representations. Includes: 9/15/2012

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1 Analogical Representations Mental images Analogous to object Brain processes mental objects like real objects Symbolic Representations Abstract mental representations Includes: Words Concepts Culture as Cognition Set of mental representations about world Norms, opinions, beliefs, values, and worldviews Culture is a knowledge system Helps us solve complex problems of living and social life Sensation Physical Energy (environment) Neural Signals Same across people Perception Organization and interpretation of sensory signals The brain! Can differ between people Human universal psychological toolkit 1

2 Perception and Physical Reality Visual Perception: Optical Illusions People s perceptions often physical realities of world Do cultures perceive things differently? How do people perceive things differently? Visual Perception Carpentered world theory Visual Perception Front-horizontal foreshortening theory 2

3 Monocular Depth Quiz Relative Size Cultural Influences on Visual Perception Symbolizing three dimensions in two theory Linear Perspective Attention Role of Dreams Attention to background objects Attention to individuals vs. groups Manifest Content vs. Latent Content Holistic vs. analytic perception Westerners focus on salient object independent of context East Asians focus on object within context 3

4 Culture and Dreams Culture and Time Differences in dream content amongst cultures: Palestinian children from Gaza incorporated more external scenes of anxiety in dreams Finnish children had more "inner" anxiety scenes in dreams People of different cultures experience time differently Long- versus short-term orientation Faster paced life vibrant and active economies, individualistic, cooler temperature Switzerland, Ireland, Japan, Italy, Germany vs. Mexico, Indonesia, Brazil, El Salvador, Syria. Serial Position Effect Culture and Memory What was on the list? Constants across cultures: Declines in memory with age Primacy Effect Hindsight bias Recency Effect Collective remembering of past Primacy effect Items rehearsed more Recency effect Less time to forget items 4

5 Culture and Memory Culture and Math Abilities Episodic memory Math is universal National differences in math abilities and achievements exist Gender differences across cultures Gender stratification hypothesis Due to differences in self-construals and interpersonal processes Culture and Problem Solving Culture and Creativity: Constants Process of discovering ways of achieving goals not readily attainable Success at artificial problems based on: Familiarity with objects required Schooling (Verbal problems) Creative individuals have High capacity for hard work Willingness to take risks High tolerance for ambiguity and disorder Logical reasoning may be artificial Learned in westernized schooling 5

6 Culture and Creativity: Differences Culture is High on uncertainty avoidance creative individuals work within norms Higher on power distance gain support from those in authority first Collectivistic seek cross-functional support Culture and Dialectical Thinking Dialectical thinking A and B Positive logical determinism A or B Mary, Phoebe, and Julie all have daughters. Each mother has held a set of values that had guided her efforts to raise her daughter. Now the daughters have grown up, and each of them is rejecting many of her mother s values. How did it happen, and what should they do? Culture and Dialectical Thinking Summary East Asians prefer dialectical thinking Americans prefer logical deterministic thinking Westerners believe something cannot be both truth and false at same time Differences in ways of perceiving and thinking about world: Westerners: analytic thinking East Asians: holistic thinking Social orientation hypothesis: Cultures differ in independent vs. interdependent social orientation patterns Other factors: Educational systems, linguistic differences 6

7 Definitional Confusion Abstract Thinking Psychologists can t agree on a precise definition of intelligence Sensory Capacity? Abstract Thinking? General vs. Specific? Fluid vs. Crystallized? Binet and Simon s 1905 intelligence test Focused on higher mental processes reasoning, understanding, judgment Abstract thinking Modern scientific view General vs Specific Abilities Intelligence and its Measurement General intelligence (g) Overall differences in intellect among people Specific abilities (s) Our particular skills Intelligence tests rely on verbal performance cultural knowledge, immigrants are at disadvantage Standard IQ test in US Asian Americans > European Americans > Hispanics > African Americans Do cross-cultural differences in intelligence reflect biological or cultural differences? 7

8 Biological Bases of Intelligence Environmental Influences Brain volume correlates positively with measured intelligence But.3-.4 correlations don t explain all, and may not be directly causal Flynn Effect Rapidly increasing IQ test scores since 1932 Likely due to changes in education and environment Heritability Approximately 40-70% for intelligence Differences due to Testing Intelligence Socioeconomic status Group differences due to Different beliefs about what intelligence is Abstract reasoning, social intelligence, street smarts Cultural bias in testing Unfortunately, we can t just ask people how smart they are Self-reports only correlate.2-.3 with objective measures of intelligence The double curse of incompetence and metacognitive skills 8

9 IQ Testing Today Cultural Bias in IQ Testing Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) Consists of 15 subtests that give five scores Overall IQ Verbal comprehension Perceptual reasoning Working memory Processing speed Culturally biased tests have favored people... From urban environments Of middle socioeconomic status Caucasians Find the odd man out: Rose Tulip Forget-me-not Basil Cultural Bias in IQ Testing Find the answer that best completes the analogy people : democracy :: wealthy : A. oligarchy B. oligopoly C. plutocracy D. timocracy E. autocracy Culture-Fair (or Culture-Reduced) Tests Intended to be culturally unbiased Or include no verbal questions Raven Progressive Matrices 9

Raven Progressive Matrices Stereotype Threat Reliability of IQ Scores In adults, scores tend to be highly stable over long periods of time Intelligence in

10 Raven Progressive Matrices Stereotype Threat Reliability of IQ Scores In adults, scores tend to be highly stable over long periods of time Intelligence in Contemporary Psychology Sternberg (1986), three "subtheories of intelligence: Prior to age three, though, IQ tests are very unstable and poor predictors of adult IQ 10

Cross-Cultural Psychology Psy 420

Cross-Cultural Psychology Psy 420 Chapter 5 Culture and Cognition 1 Culture & Physiological Processes Old Model: physiology Psychology New Model: physiology Psychology Experience & learning alters brain