Cultural differences between United States and China

What is it about?

Researchers have long explored how culture influences perception and reasoning by comparing people from the US and China. In this study, we revisited 12 well-known experiments that previously highlighted cultural differences. Using large online samples, we repeated these experiments to see if the original findings held up. Our results were mixed: five tasks showed clear cultural differences, six showed no difference, and one showed a small difference but in the opposite direction of what was expected. The tasks generally produced consistent results when repeated multiple times, but there was little overlap in how individuals performed across different tasks. Interestingly, within each culture, factors like age, gender, and education didn't significantly impact the results.

Featured Image

Photo by Leon Liu on Unsplash

Photo by Leon Liu on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Understanding cultural differences in perception, and reasoning is crucial because it improves communication, enhances psychological theories, and fosters better cross-cultural relations. Our study contributes to this understanding by testing the robustness of well-known psychological tasks across cultures, revealing which findings hold up and which do not. By making our data and methods publicly available, we lay a foundation for future research, helping to build a more reliable and comprehensive science of cross-cultural psychology.