The Relationship Between Culture and Cognition: New Perspectives on Old Problems
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Jan 1, 2025
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Abstract
Objective: The objective of this reflective article is to provide a general overview of the theories and approaches that have addressed the relationship between cognition and culture, from classical models to more recent ones, to discuss the relevance of contemporary ecocultural frameworks and their application in studies on intercultural contexts. Methodology: This article begins with a historical review of cognitive anthropological theories and their articulation with cultural and differential psychology, based on the notion of cognitive style in the Field Dependence-Independence dimension (FDI). Results: The scientific implications of analyzing cultural and individual differences in isolation are discussed, and it is proposed to revisit ecocultural models from crosscultural psychology to address the complexity of cognitive phenomena. Conclusions: In conclusion, the enormous potential of the ecocultural model in describing cultural influences on cognition is highlighted, using style as an indicator of individual cognitive
functioning.
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Chaves Castaño, J., & Hederich-Martínez, C. (2025). The Relationship Between Culture and Cognition: : New Perspectives on Old Problems. ÁNFORA, 32(58), 21–44. https://doi.org/10.30854/anf.v32.n58.2025.1111
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Keywords
cognition, culture, cognitive styles, ecocultural model, intercultural studies
References
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Baess, P., Ecker, U. K. H., Janssen, S. M. J., Jin, Z., & Bermeitinger, C. (2022). What Simon “knows” About Cultural Differences: The Influence of Cultural Orientation and Traffic Directionality on Spatial Compatibility Effects. Memory & Cognition, 51, 526–542. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13421-022-01360-9
Bagley, C. (1988). Cognitive Style and Cultural Adaptation in Blackfoot, Japanese, Jamaican, Italian and Anglo-Celtic Children in Canada. En G. K. Verma & C. Bagley (Eds.), Cross-Cultural Studies of Personality, Attitudes and Cognition (pp. 143-159). Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-08120-2_6
Bagley, C. (1995). Field Independence in Children in Group-Oriented Cultures: Comparisons from China, Japan, and North America. The Journal of Social Psychology, 135(4), 523-525. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.1995.9712221
Berlin, B., & Key, P. (1969). Basic Color Terms: Their Universality and Evolution. University of California Press.
Berry, J. W. (1971) Ecological and Cultural Factors in Spatial Perceptual Development. Canadian Journal of Behavioral Science, 3(4), 324-336. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0082275
Berry, J. W. (1979). Human Ecology and Cognitive Style: Comparative Studies in Cultural and Psychological Adaptation. Sage Publications.
Berry, J. W. (1980). Ecology, Culture, and Behavior: Perspectives from Cross-Cultural Psychology. In H. C. Triandis & W. W. Lambert (Eds.), Handbook of Cross-Cultural Psychology (Vol. 1, pp. 135-207). Allyn & Bacon.
Berry, J. W. (1983). Conceptual Approaches to Acculturation. In R. W. Brislin (Ed.), Applied Cross-Cultural Psychology (pp. 232-253). Sage Publications.
Berry, J. W. (2022a). Family and Youth Development: Some Concepts and Findings Linked to The Ecocultural and Acculturation Models. Societies, 12(6), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc12060181
Berry, J. W. (2022b). The Forgotten Field: Contexts for Cross-Cultural Psychology. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 53(7-8), 993-1009. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220221221093810
Bieri, F. (1960) Paternal Indentification. Acceptance of Authority, and Within-Sex Differences in Cognitive Behavior. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 60(1), 76-79. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0044591
Blount, B. G. (2011). A History of Cognitive Anthropology. En David B. Kronenfeld, Giovanni Bennardo, Victor C. de Munck, Michael D. Fischer (Eds.), A Companion to Cognitive Anthropology (pp. 9-29). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1989). Ecological Systems Theory. Annals of Child Development, 6, 185–246.
Busse, T. V. (1969). Child-Rearing Antecedents of Flexible Thinking. Developmental Psychology, 1(5), 585–591. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0027978
Claeys, W., & DeBoeck, P. (1976). The Influence of Some Parental Characteristics on Children's Primary Abilities and Field Independence: A Study of Adopted Children. Child development, 47(3), 842–845. https://doi.org/10.2307/1128204
Dasen, P. R. (2022). Culture and Cognitive Development. Cultural Psychology, 53(7-8), 789-816. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220221221092409
Dasen, P. R., & Mishra, R. C. (2000). Cross-Cultural Views on Human Development in the Third Millennium. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 24(4), 428-434. https://doi.org/10.1080/016502500750037973
Dasen, P. R., & Mishra, R. C. (2013). Cultural Differences in Cognitive Styles. En B. R. Kar (Ed.), Cognition and Brain Development: Converging Evidence from Various Methodologies (pp. 231-249). American Psychological Association.
https://doi.org/10.1037/14043-012
Dasen, P. R., Mishra, R. C., & Wassmann, J. (2018). Quasi-Experimental Research in Culture Sensitive Psychology. Culture and Psychology, 24(3), 327-342. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354067x18779043
Dyk, R. B., & Witkin, H. A. (1965). Family Experiences Related to the Development of Differentiation in Children. Child Development, 36(1), 21-55. https://doi.org/10.2307/1126779
Hederich-Martínez, C. (2007). Estilo cognitivo en la dimensión de dependenciaindependencia de campo. Influencias culturales e implicaciones para la educación (Tesis doctoral). Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, España.
Hederich-Martínez, C. y Camargo, Á. (1995). Diferencias cognitivas y subculturas en Colombia. Universidad Pedagógica Nacional.
Hederich-Martínez, C. & Camargo, A. (1999) Estilos cognitivos en Colombia. Resultados en cinco regiones culturales colombianas. Bogotá: Universidad Pedagógica Nacional, Centro de Investigaciones (CIUP) - Colciencias.
Hederich-Martínez, C. y Camargo, Á. (2001). Estilo cognitivo y logro académico en la ciudad de Bogotá. Revista Colombiana de Educación, 40-41, 1-23. https://doi.org/10.17227/01203916.7782
Hederich-Martínez, C., Camargo-Uribe, A., Taborda-Chaurra, J., Tobón-V, G. del C., y Zuluaga, J. B. (2022). Estilo cognitivo en la dimensión de dependenciaindependencia de campo de estudiantes universitarios del área de Manizales. Acta Colombiana de Psicología, 26(1), 13–26. https://doi.org/10.14718/acp.2023.26.1.2
Henrich, J., Heine, S. J., & Norenzayan, A. (2010). The WEIRDest People in the World. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 33(2-3), 61-83. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0140525x0999152x
Holland, D., & Quinn, N. (Eds.). (1987). Cultural Models in Language and Thought. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511607660
Holzman, P. S., & Klein, G. S. (1954). Cognitive System Principles of Leveling and Shapering. Individual Differences in Visual-Time Error Assimilation Effects. The Journal of Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied, 37, 105–122.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.1954.9916135
Kagan, J. (1966). Reflection-Impulrivity: The Generality and Dynamics of Conceptual Tempo. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 71(1), 17-24. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0022886
Lévy-Bruhl, L. (1910). Les fonctions mentales dans les sociétés inférieures. Librairies Félix Alcan et Guillaumin Réunies. https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k752961
Lévy-Bruhl, L. (1922). La mentalité primitive. Librairie Félix Alcan. Lacko, D., Šašinka, Č., Čeněk, J., Stachoň, Z., & Lu, W.-l. (2020). Cross-CulturalDifferences in Cognitive Style, Individualism/Collectivism and Map Reading Between Central European and East Asian University Students. Studia Psychologica, 62(1), 23–43. https://doi.org/10.31577/sp.2020.01.789
Lynn, D. B. (1962). Sex-Role and Parental Identification. Child Development, 33(3), 555-564. https://doi.org/10.2307/1126656
Masuda, T., Shi, S., Varma, P., Fisher, D., & Shirazi, S. (2022). Do Surrounding People’s Emotions Affect Judgment of the Central Person’s Emotion? Comparing Within Cultural Variation in Holistic Patterns of Emotion Perception in the Multicultural Canadian Society. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 16, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2022.886971
Mead, M. (1973). Sexo y temperamento en las sociedades primitivas. Laia.
Muhammad, T., Daniel, E. G. S., & Abdurauf, R. A. (2015). Cognitive Styles Field Dependence/Independence and Scientific Achievement of Male and Female Students of Zamfara State College of Education Maru, Nigeria. Journal of
Education and Practice, 6(10), 58-63. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1081653
Onyekuru, B. U. (2015). Field Dependence-Field Independence Cognitive Style, Gender, Career Choice and Academic Achievement of Secondary School Students in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State. Journal of Education and Practice, 6(10), 76-85. https://www.iiste.org/Journals/index.php/JEP/article/view/21440/22147
Reynoso, C. (1986). Teoría, historia y crítica de la antropología cognitiva: Una propuesta sistemática. Ediciones Búsqueda-Yuchán.
Rosch, E., Mervis, C., Gray, W., Johnson, D., & Boyes-Brahem, P. (1976). Basic Objects in Naturals Categories. Cognitive Psychology, 8(3), 382-439. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/001002857690013X
Senzaki, S., Masuda, T., & Nand, K. (2014). Holistic Versus Analytic Expressions in Artworks: Cross-Cultural Differences and Similarities in Drawings and Collages by Canadian and Japanese School-Age Children. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 45(8), 1297-1316. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022114537704
Thurstone, L.L. (1944). A Factorial Study of Perception. Psychometric. University Press.
Tylor, E. B. (1871). Primitive Culture: Researches Into the Development of Mythology, Philosophy, Religion, Art, and Custom. J. Murray.
Witkin, H. A. (1967). A Cognitive-Style Approach to Cross-Cultural Research. International Journal of Psychology, 2(4), 233-250. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207596708247220
Witkin, H. & Asch, S.C. (1948). Studies in Space Orientation. III Perception of the Upright in the Absence of a Visual Field. Journal Experimental Psychology, 38(5), 603-614. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0055372
Witkin, H. A., & Berry, J. W. (1975). Psychological Diferentiation in Cross-Cultural Perspective. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 1975(1), 1-100. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2333-8504.1975.tb01043.x
Witkin, H. A., Dyk, R. B., Fattuson, H. F., Goodenough, D. R., & Karp, S. A. (1962). Psychological Differentiation: Studies of Development. Wiley.
Witkin, H. A., & Goodenough, D. R. (1985). Estilos cognitivos: Naturaleza y orígenes. Pirámide.
Witkin, H. A., Lewis, H. B., Hertzman, M., Machover, K., Meissner, P. B., & Wapner, S. (1954). Personality Through Perception: An Experimental and Clinical Study. Harper.
Baess, P., Ecker, U. K. H., Janssen, S. M. J., Jin, Z., & Bermeitinger, C. (2022). What Simon “knows” About Cultural Differences: The Influence of Cultural Orientation and Traffic Directionality on Spatial Compatibility Effects. Memory & Cognition, 51, 526–542. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13421-022-01360-9
Bagley, C. (1988). Cognitive Style and Cultural Adaptation in Blackfoot, Japanese, Jamaican, Italian and Anglo-Celtic Children in Canada. En G. K. Verma & C. Bagley (Eds.), Cross-Cultural Studies of Personality, Attitudes and Cognition (pp. 143-159). Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-08120-2_6
Bagley, C. (1995). Field Independence in Children in Group-Oriented Cultures: Comparisons from China, Japan, and North America. The Journal of Social Psychology, 135(4), 523-525. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.1995.9712221
Berlin, B., & Key, P. (1969). Basic Color Terms: Their Universality and Evolution. University of California Press.
Berry, J. W. (1971) Ecological and Cultural Factors in Spatial Perceptual Development. Canadian Journal of Behavioral Science, 3(4), 324-336. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0082275
Berry, J. W. (1979). Human Ecology and Cognitive Style: Comparative Studies in Cultural and Psychological Adaptation. Sage Publications.
Berry, J. W. (1980). Ecology, Culture, and Behavior: Perspectives from Cross-Cultural Psychology. In H. C. Triandis & W. W. Lambert (Eds.), Handbook of Cross-Cultural Psychology (Vol. 1, pp. 135-207). Allyn & Bacon.
Berry, J. W. (1983). Conceptual Approaches to Acculturation. In R. W. Brislin (Ed.), Applied Cross-Cultural Psychology (pp. 232-253). Sage Publications.
Berry, J. W. (2022a). Family and Youth Development: Some Concepts and Findings Linked to The Ecocultural and Acculturation Models. Societies, 12(6), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc12060181
Berry, J. W. (2022b). The Forgotten Field: Contexts for Cross-Cultural Psychology. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 53(7-8), 993-1009. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220221221093810
Bieri, F. (1960) Paternal Indentification. Acceptance of Authority, and Within-Sex Differences in Cognitive Behavior. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 60(1), 76-79. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0044591
Blount, B. G. (2011). A History of Cognitive Anthropology. En David B. Kronenfeld, Giovanni Bennardo, Victor C. de Munck, Michael D. Fischer (Eds.), A Companion to Cognitive Anthropology (pp. 9-29). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1989). Ecological Systems Theory. Annals of Child Development, 6, 185–246.
Busse, T. V. (1969). Child-Rearing Antecedents of Flexible Thinking. Developmental Psychology, 1(5), 585–591. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0027978
Claeys, W., & DeBoeck, P. (1976). The Influence of Some Parental Characteristics on Children's Primary Abilities and Field Independence: A Study of Adopted Children. Child development, 47(3), 842–845. https://doi.org/10.2307/1128204
Dasen, P. R. (2022). Culture and Cognitive Development. Cultural Psychology, 53(7-8), 789-816. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220221221092409
Dasen, P. R., & Mishra, R. C. (2000). Cross-Cultural Views on Human Development in the Third Millennium. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 24(4), 428-434. https://doi.org/10.1080/016502500750037973
Dasen, P. R., & Mishra, R. C. (2013). Cultural Differences in Cognitive Styles. En B. R. Kar (Ed.), Cognition and Brain Development: Converging Evidence from Various Methodologies (pp. 231-249). American Psychological Association.
https://doi.org/10.1037/14043-012
Dasen, P. R., Mishra, R. C., & Wassmann, J. (2018). Quasi-Experimental Research in Culture Sensitive Psychology. Culture and Psychology, 24(3), 327-342. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354067x18779043
Dyk, R. B., & Witkin, H. A. (1965). Family Experiences Related to the Development of Differentiation in Children. Child Development, 36(1), 21-55. https://doi.org/10.2307/1126779
Hederich-Martínez, C. (2007). Estilo cognitivo en la dimensión de dependenciaindependencia de campo. Influencias culturales e implicaciones para la educación (Tesis doctoral). Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, España.
Hederich-Martínez, C. y Camargo, Á. (1995). Diferencias cognitivas y subculturas en Colombia. Universidad Pedagógica Nacional.
Hederich-Martínez, C. & Camargo, A. (1999) Estilos cognitivos en Colombia. Resultados en cinco regiones culturales colombianas. Bogotá: Universidad Pedagógica Nacional, Centro de Investigaciones (CIUP) - Colciencias.
Hederich-Martínez, C. y Camargo, Á. (2001). Estilo cognitivo y logro académico en la ciudad de Bogotá. Revista Colombiana de Educación, 40-41, 1-23. https://doi.org/10.17227/01203916.7782
Hederich-Martínez, C., Camargo-Uribe, A., Taborda-Chaurra, J., Tobón-V, G. del C., y Zuluaga, J. B. (2022). Estilo cognitivo en la dimensión de dependenciaindependencia de campo de estudiantes universitarios del área de Manizales. Acta Colombiana de Psicología, 26(1), 13–26. https://doi.org/10.14718/acp.2023.26.1.2
Henrich, J., Heine, S. J., & Norenzayan, A. (2010). The WEIRDest People in the World. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 33(2-3), 61-83. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0140525x0999152x
Holland, D., & Quinn, N. (Eds.). (1987). Cultural Models in Language and Thought. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511607660
Holzman, P. S., & Klein, G. S. (1954). Cognitive System Principles of Leveling and Shapering. Individual Differences in Visual-Time Error Assimilation Effects. The Journal of Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied, 37, 105–122.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.1954.9916135
Kagan, J. (1966). Reflection-Impulrivity: The Generality and Dynamics of Conceptual Tempo. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 71(1), 17-24. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0022886
Lévy-Bruhl, L. (1910). Les fonctions mentales dans les sociétés inférieures. Librairies Félix Alcan et Guillaumin Réunies. https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k752961
Lévy-Bruhl, L. (1922). La mentalité primitive. Librairie Félix Alcan. Lacko, D., Šašinka, Č., Čeněk, J., Stachoň, Z., & Lu, W.-l. (2020). Cross-CulturalDifferences in Cognitive Style, Individualism/Collectivism and Map Reading Between Central European and East Asian University Students. Studia Psychologica, 62(1), 23–43. https://doi.org/10.31577/sp.2020.01.789
Lynn, D. B. (1962). Sex-Role and Parental Identification. Child Development, 33(3), 555-564. https://doi.org/10.2307/1126656
Masuda, T., Shi, S., Varma, P., Fisher, D., & Shirazi, S. (2022). Do Surrounding People’s Emotions Affect Judgment of the Central Person’s Emotion? Comparing Within Cultural Variation in Holistic Patterns of Emotion Perception in the Multicultural Canadian Society. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 16, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2022.886971
Mead, M. (1973). Sexo y temperamento en las sociedades primitivas. Laia.
Muhammad, T., Daniel, E. G. S., & Abdurauf, R. A. (2015). Cognitive Styles Field Dependence/Independence and Scientific Achievement of Male and Female Students of Zamfara State College of Education Maru, Nigeria. Journal of
Education and Practice, 6(10), 58-63. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1081653
Onyekuru, B. U. (2015). Field Dependence-Field Independence Cognitive Style, Gender, Career Choice and Academic Achievement of Secondary School Students in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State. Journal of Education and Practice, 6(10), 76-85. https://www.iiste.org/Journals/index.php/JEP/article/view/21440/22147
Reynoso, C. (1986). Teoría, historia y crítica de la antropología cognitiva: Una propuesta sistemática. Ediciones Búsqueda-Yuchán.
Rosch, E., Mervis, C., Gray, W., Johnson, D., & Boyes-Brahem, P. (1976). Basic Objects in Naturals Categories. Cognitive Psychology, 8(3), 382-439. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/001002857690013X
Senzaki, S., Masuda, T., & Nand, K. (2014). Holistic Versus Analytic Expressions in Artworks: Cross-Cultural Differences and Similarities in Drawings and Collages by Canadian and Japanese School-Age Children. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 45(8), 1297-1316. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022114537704
Thurstone, L.L. (1944). A Factorial Study of Perception. Psychometric. University Press.
Tylor, E. B. (1871). Primitive Culture: Researches Into the Development of Mythology, Philosophy, Religion, Art, and Custom. J. Murray.
Witkin, H. A. (1967). A Cognitive-Style Approach to Cross-Cultural Research. International Journal of Psychology, 2(4), 233-250. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207596708247220
Witkin, H. & Asch, S.C. (1948). Studies in Space Orientation. III Perception of the Upright in the Absence of a Visual Field. Journal Experimental Psychology, 38(5), 603-614. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0055372
Witkin, H. A., & Berry, J. W. (1975). Psychological Diferentiation in Cross-Cultural Perspective. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 1975(1), 1-100. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2333-8504.1975.tb01043.x
Witkin, H. A., Dyk, R. B., Fattuson, H. F., Goodenough, D. R., & Karp, S. A. (1962). Psychological Differentiation: Studies of Development. Wiley.
Witkin, H. A., & Goodenough, D. R. (1985). Estilos cognitivos: Naturaleza y orígenes. Pirámide.
Witkin, H. A., Lewis, H. B., Hertzman, M., Machover, K., Meissner, P. B., & Wapner, S. (1954). Personality Through Perception: An Experimental and Clinical Study. Harper.
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