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Exploring cross-cultural variations in visual attention patterns inside and outside national borders using immersive
Alžběta Šašinková1, Jiří Čeněk2,3, Pavel Ugwitz1
1Department of Information and Library Studies, Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
Scientific Reports
|November 2, 2023
Summary
This study reveals how cultural background influences cognitive styles, with Eastern cultures showing a more holistic approach and Western cultures an analytic one. These differences were evident even within Turkey, highlighting the impact of diverse historical and cultural factors.
Area of Science:
- Cross-cultural psychology
- Cognitive science
- Human-computer interaction
Background:
- Cognitive styles vary across cultures, often categorized as holistic (Eastern) or analytic (Western).
- Understanding these differences is crucial for effective cross-cultural communication and design.
- Previous research suggests broad East-West divides, but nuances within regions require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate cross-cultural differences in cognitive style using virtual reality and eye-tracking.
- To examine the influence of broader cultural backgrounds beyond national or geographical boundaries.
- To compare cognitive processing of complex visual stimuli across diverse cultural groups.
Main Methods:
- Utilized immersive virtual environments with salient objects and complex backgrounds as stimuli.
- Employed virtual reality headsets with integrated eye-tracking devices to record oculomotor patterns.
- Analyzed data from 242 participants across five cultural groups: Czechia, Ghana, eastern Turkey, western Turkey, and Taiwan.
Main Results:
- Oculomotor patterns confirmed general East-West differences: holistic (Eastern) vs. analytic (Western) cognitive styles.
- Significant differences were observed between Taiwan and other cultural samples.
- Variations within Turkey (Eastern: holistic; Western: analytic) suggest the influence of distinct historical and cultural characteristics.
Conclusions:
- Broader cultural background and historical factors significantly shape cognitive processing of visual stimuli, potentially more than geographical location alone.
- Findings support and refine existing theories on cross-cultural cognitive styles.
- The study underscores the importance of considering nuanced cultural variations in cognitive research.
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