There is an article from Straits Times today (7 March 08) that revealed
that asians and westerners really see things differently. Asians tend
to see the whole picture while westerners tend to focus on more on
central/biggest objects than on their surroundings.
The research
by Dr Trey Hedden & Professor John Gabrieli of the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology shows that a westerner can estimate the length
of an isolated line better than asian, while asian can compare the
length of the line with a square better than westerners, by measuring
their brain activities while they are performing these tasks.
Also,
American children performed best when they get to choose their own
puzzles, while Asian children performed best with puzzles they were
told their mothers had chosen for them.
The type of Culture
determine the type of language and customs. And the type of language
and customs determine how those living under these influences see and
experience the world differently. Westerners see themselves as
independent entities, while Asian interdependence.
'Culture is not changing how you see the world, but rather how you think and interpret.'