1. Culture and Perception Dr. K. A. Korb University of Jos 27 May 2009

2. 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. Korb University of Jos

3. 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. Korb University of Jos

4. 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. Korb University of Jos

5. Perceptions of Patterns A B Dr. K. A. Korb University of Jos

6. 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. Korb University of Jos

7. 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. Korb University of Jos

8. 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. Korb University of Jos

9. 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. Korb University of Jos

10. 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 Dr. K. A. Korb University of Jos

11. 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. Korb University of Jos

12. 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. Korb University of Jos

13. 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. Korb University of Jos

14. 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. Korb University of Jos