Aug 19, 2010

Individualism or Interdependence

During our show Who Am I? we got worried that spending so much time thinking about the 'self' would make us a little.. well.. self-centered. But what's wrong with that? Nothing really, but apparently we wouldn't do well on this puzzle.

The view on the left shows what the test subject sees. The view on the right shows what the 'director' sees. Following instructions from the director, student volunteers moved objects from one compartment to the next. But notice there are some repeated items, one of which the director cannot see. In order to move the correct piece, the student would have to consider the director's view.

Q. So what was the difference between those who scored high and those who scored low?

A. Culture.

Students raised in the US scored lower than students brought up in China. A lot lower. So why do Chinese students solve this puzzle faster? Psychologists Boaz Keysar and Shali Wu at the University of Chicago say a culture of interdependence rather than individualism probably accounts for it.

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