Complex Cognition

Question 1

cultural blindness

Answer 1

the disbelief, that research findings that seem to be true for one culture are generalisable to the worlds population.

Question 2

Perceptual differences

Answer 2

Experiment with the two or three dimensional picture. Depending on the educational level of the participants they either see a two or three dimensional picture.

Question 3

Differences in reasoning in East and West

Answer 3

• western cultures reason more analytically and have either a right or a wrong answer to the question
• eastern cultures reason more holistically. In discussions about a topic they are more likely to chose a middle ground and no right or wrong to solve a problem.

Question 4

differences in the social brain network

Which areas are activated when talking to others ?

Answer 4

Social brain network in the east :

• inference of other minds, self control, social perception, emotion regulation

Social brain-network in the west :

• self reflection on the own emotional processes
• empathy for the emotional processes of others.

Question 5

Dopamine System Genes and Cultural Acquisition

Answer 5

Gene cultural co evolution:

• the genes coevolve with culture
• DRD4 gene, Dopamine D4 Receptor Gene

This gene did develop differently in Eastern and Western cultures and due to the gene culture co evolution.

• the higher the Dopamine variants of DRD4. Do show a higher social orientation for their respective culture.

–> more norm obedience to the given culture

Some people are genetically predisposed to be more sensitive for cultural norms.