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.'