Intercultural Relations and the Perceptual Brain: A Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective

Abstract

Doole, Chan, and Huang make the point that repeated experiences change the human brain, and enculturation is a prime example of this phenomenon. The authors point to the cognitive and behavioral differences in East Asians and Westerners with an emphasis on attention, reasoning, and self-concept. fMRI studies of visual processes have shown that Westerners show greater activation in object recognition-related brain regions. These studies appear to confirm that Westerners focus on objects while Easterners focus on the holistic. Further, structural MRI has demonstrated Westerners have greater cortical thickness in the frontal lobe and right parietal lobe. This provides further evidence that Westerners have more analytical cognitive patterns. The authors highlight how the understanding of the neuroscience of cultural differences can be used to make a positive impact in intercultural relations.