culture and perception dr. k. a. korb university of jos 27 may 2009
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Culture and Perception
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
27 May 2009
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Sensory Memory
Cross-cultural differences in sensory functions can be the result of:
1. Direct physical environmental conditions Kalahari Bushmen report less hearing loss in older
individuals than in the US The desert has considerably less ambient noise than the US
2. Indirect physical environmental conditions Poor nutrition and diseases in South African mine-workers
are likely causes of difficulty seeing in poorly lit conditions
Dr. K. A. KorbUniversity of Jos
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Sensory Memory
Cross-cultural differences in sensory functions can be the result of:
3. Genetic factors Europeans have a greater incidence of red-green color
blindness than non-Europeans
4. Cultural differences in interaction with the environment
Cultures differ in judgments of loudness
However, cross-cultural differences in sensory functioning are rare
Dr. K. A. KorbUniversity of Jos
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Perception of Pictures
Ethiopians with little experience with pictorial representations were shown various pictures (Deregowski, Muldrow, & Muldrow, 1972) Most people identified the leopard, but only after time and effort Some would touch or smell the picture
Experience with pictures is necessary for accurate perception of clear pictures and photographs
Dr. K. A. KorbUniversity of Jos
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Perceptions of Patterns
A
B
Dr. K. A. KorbUniversity of Jos
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Perception of Patterns Repeated experience with perceptual cues affects
how stimuli are perceived Perception of stimuli is learned based on a person’s
experience with the environment and pictures Hypothesis 1: Carpentered World Hypothesis
An environment with many carpenters tends to be rectangular – furniture, houses, street patterns
People raised in a carpentered world interpret non-rectangular figures as rectangular figures in perspective
Evidence: People raised in industrial urban environments are more susceptible to Müller-Lyer visual illusion
Dr. K. A. KorbUniversity of Jos
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Perception of Patterns
Hypothesis 2: Foreshortening Hypothesis Lines extending into space appear as vertical lines in
pictures People living in environments with wide vistas
perceive vertical lines as long distances Evidence: Non-western people are more prone to the
horizontal-vertical illusion Evidence: People living in areas with wide spaces
are more prone than people living in the rain forest
Dr. K. A. KorbUniversity of Jos
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Perception of Depth in Pictures
South Africans were asked whether the elephant or the antelope was closer to the man (Hudson, 1967) Schooled participants gave 3D answers Unschooled participants almost always gave 2D answers Ability to interpret western-style materials increases as people
are acculturated to the west and schooled in western education
Dr. K. A. KorbUniversity of Jos
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Perception of Orientation
Ghanaian and Scottish children were asked whether patterns that differed in orientation were the same (Jahoda, 1978) Ghanaian children made
more incorrect responses Even after training to
distinguish differing orientation, Ghanaian children still made many mistakes
Dr. K. A. KorbUniversity of Jos
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Perception of Patterns
Children had to state the number of dots when quickly presented (Cole, Gay, & Glick, 1968) American children performed significantly better with the
organized array than the random array Liberian children had no differences in performance between the
organized and random arrays
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Perception of Symmetry
Participants have to place the fourth shape to make a symmetrical object (Reuning & Wortley, 1973) Despite having no formal
experience with symmetrical patterns, the Kalahari Bushmen performed very well on the task
Dr. K. A. KorbUniversity of Jos
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Perception of Simple Patterns
Currently, cross-cultural research only describes similarities and differences between cultures in perception of simple patterns No theory has been developed that can explain
cultural or environmental factors that influence perception of patterns
One major problem is that conventions of representing a 3D world in two dimensions are arbitrary
Dr. K. A. KorbUniversity of Jos
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Perception of Pictures
Picture perception is a set of learned skills. Culture-specific conditions determines how picture
perceptual skills develop School children easily recognize photographs and
clear drawings Simple visual aids are effective in education in virtually all
cultures
Perception of pictures becomes difficult when: People have little experience with pictures The patterns become more complex
Dr. K. A. KorbUniversity of Jos
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Revision
What cross-cultural similarities have been found in perception?
What cross-cultural differences have been found in perception?
What are some factors that are thought to influence these cross-cultural differences?
Dr. K. A. KorbUniversity of Jos