Understanding Cognitive Differences Across Cultures: Integrating Neuroscience and Cultural Psychology

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Background

Integrating cognitive neuroscience and cultural psychology to understand cross-cultural cognitive mechanisms more comprehensively has become a burgeoning trend in many research areas. Cultural psychology focuses on addressing how cultural factors influence human cognition and behavior, and neuroscience helps explain how the interplay between the neural system of the human brain and the world affects human cognition and behavior.

The literature of cultural psychology has highlighted the existence of considerable cross-cultural variances in human cognition at both the individual and social levels, whereby a wide range of cognitive and behavioral differences among people from diverse cultures have been identified. As indicated by the well-known individualism-collectivism and holistic-analytic mental paradigms, Westerners tend to see the world as composed of independent objects with a stronger desire for competition and personal autonomy, while Easterners often hold a more holistic assumption in favor of maintaining harmony and cooperation among group members. Whereas culture refers to a specific system of shared values, norms and rules held by members of the specific group, recent studies have also expanded to investigate cross-cultural differences at the organization/group level. However, despite the fact that many cultural psychology scholars have investigated cross-cultural cognitive differences, their results remain controversial and somewhat limited. Therefore, it is imperative to probe into cross-cultural cognitive differences with broader, multidisciplinary theoretical underpinnings or methodologies.

Echoing this, researchers in recent years have attempted to integrate cultural psychology with theories and methods from the neuroscience domain. Specifically, many researchers have studied the cross-cultural similarities and differences in human attention, visual perception, and understanding of others and the self. Unlike traditional behavioral measures, neuroscientific approaches provide a more rapid and simultaneous view of the neural processes underlying mental processes. Nevertheless, despite some progress, far more research should be done for deeper exploration of relevant issues.

The purpose of this Research Topic is to promote the use of measurement techniques in cognitive science (e.g., neuroscience or social research methods) for cross-cultural research. The call for paper (CFs) defines “culture” in a broader way, encouraging authors to consider all levels of analysis about cultural differences, ranging from ethnic culture, regional culture, organizational culture to catering culture, popular culture and the like.

Original research, reviews, policy, practice reviews, methods, hypotheses and theories, perspectives, opinions, and conceptual analyses are welcome. All papers submitted for this open call will be reviewed anonymously by reviewers with expertise in the field. Authors are encouraged to submit manuscripts in, but not limited to, the following areas:

- Behavioral economics and Neuroeconomics
- Cognitive neuroscience and cross-cultural management
- Cognitive neuroscience and organizational behavior
- Consumer Behavior and Neuro-Decision making
- Moral decision, ethics, and neuroscience
- Neuro-entrepreneurship
- Neuro-industrial-engineering
- Neuro-information system/ NeuroIS
- Neuro-management and culture
- Neurofinance and behavioural economics
- Neuromarketing/ Marketing strategies, and advertising
- Neuroscience and education research across cultures
- Neuroscience and innovation research across cultures
- Neuroscience and jurisprudence research across cultures
- Social cognitive neuroscience and culture
- Systems view and cognitive domains of Neuroscience
- Sports Psychology and Neuroscience

Keywords: Cultural Psychology, Cultural Neuroscience, Neuroscience, Neuromarketing, Neuro management, Social Cognitive, Social Neuroscience, Cross-culture

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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