Biculturalism and Cognitive Complexity

Abstract

To explore the possible cognitive consequences of biculturalism, the authors examine the complexity of cultural representations in monocultural and bicultural individuals. Study 1 found that Chinese American biculturals' free descriptions of both American and Chinese cultures are higher in cognitive complexity than that of Anglo-American monoculturals, but the same effect was not apparent in descriptions of culturally neutral entities (landscapes). With the same procedures, Study 2 found that the cultural representations of biculturals with low levels of Bicultural Identity Integration (BII; or biculturals with conflicted cultural identities) are more cognitively complex than that of biculturals with high BII (biculturals with compatible cultural identities). This article shows that cultural frame switching and BII have meaningful cognitive consequences; furthermore, it suggests that exposure to more than one culture may increase individuals' ability to detect, process, and organize everyday cultural meaning, highlighting the potential benefits of multiculturalism.