Contact Us </ContactUs.aspx> Site Map </Sitemap.aspx> Feedback </aboutdana/feedback.aspx> My Profile </membership/profile.aspx> Subscriptions </membership/subscriptions.aspx> <../../> Advanced Search </SearchAdvanced.

aspx> Brain Science <../../brain.aspx> * Home </Default.aspx> * News and Periodicals </news/> o Blog </news/blog.aspx> o Books </news/danapressbooks/> o Brain in the News </news/braininthenews/> Archives </news/braininthenews/archives.aspx> o BrainWork </news/brainwork/> Archives </news/brainwork/archives.aspx> o Cerebrum </news/cerebrum/> Archives </news/cerebrum/archives.aspx> o Neuroeducation </neuroeducation/> o Neuroethics </neuroethics/> o Free Publications </news/publications/> o Report on Progress </news/reportonprogress/> * Books </news/danapressbooks/> o The Temperamental Thread, by Jerome Kagan </WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=ID&ItemID=23486> o Cerebrum 2010 Anthology </WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=ID&ItemID=24074> o Treating the Brain: What the Best Doctors Know by Walter G. Bradley </WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=ID&ItemID=21672> o Deep Brain Stimulation by Jamie Talan </WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=ID&ItemID=13508> o The Dana Foundation Series on Neuroethics </news/danapressbooks/detail.aspx?id=23280> o All Dana Press Books </news/danapressbooks/> o Services for Booksellers </WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=ID&ItemID=21466> * Webcasts and Audio </events/> o Audio Archive </events/audioarchive.aspx> o Webcast Archive </events/recent.aspx> o Podcasts </podcasts.aspx> From the Dana Centre, UK

</podcasts.aspx?podcast=%20From%20the%20Dana%20Centre,%20UK> Gray Matters </podcasts.aspx?podcast=%20Gray%20Matters> Lectures </podcasts.aspx?podcast=%20Lectures> NeuroPods </podcasts.aspx?podcast=%20NeuroPods> News and Features </podcasts.aspx?podcast=%20News%20and%20Features> One-on-One </podcasts.aspx?podcast=One-on-One> Panel Discussions </podcasts.aspx?podcast=%20Panel%20Discussions> * Grants </grants/> o Brain and Immuno-Imaging </grants/imaging/> o Clinical Neuroscience Research </grants/clinical/> o Human Immunology </grants/human/> o Neuroimmunology </grants/neuroimmunology/> o Immunology Resources </immunology.aspx> o Arts Education Resources </artseducation.aspx> * The Dana Alliances </danaalliances/> o About the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives </danaalliances/about/> Who We Are </danaalliances/about/whoweare.aspx> What We Do </danaalliances/about/whatwedo.aspx> Our Vision </danaalliances/about/ourvision.aspx> Our History </danaalliances/about/ourhistory.aspx> o Brain Awareness Week </brainweek/> o Programs </danaalliances/programs/> Cognitive Fitness at Work </danaalliances/programs/cognitivefitness/> Gray Matters </danaalliances/programs/graymatters/> Lending Library </danaalliances/programs/lendinglibrary/> Neuroscience Education Initiatives </danaalliances/programs/education/> New York City Regional Brain Bee Competition </danaalliances/programs/nycbrainbee/> Staying Sharp </danaalliances/programs/stayingsharp/> o Publications and Resources </danaalliances/publications/> o European Dana Alliance for the Brain </danaalliances/edab/> o Alliance Members </danaalliances/member/> * Media Resources </media/> o Neuroscience Resource Service </media/Resource.aspx> o Brain Expert Directory </media/resourcedirectory/> o All News Releases </media/newsreleases.aspx> o Publications for Journalists </media/newsofficepublications/> Advances in Brain Research </media/newsofficepublications/AdvancesBrainResearch.aspx> Briefing Papers </media/newsofficepublications/BriefingPapers.aspx> Primers </media/newsofficepublications/primers.aspx>

Q&As </media/newsofficepublications/qas.aspx> o Dana Foundation Background </media/danafoundationbackground/> Dana Foundation Fact Sheet </media/danafoundationbackground/danafoundationfactsheet.aspx> Timeline </AboutDana/timeline.aspx> Annual Report </WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=ID&ItemID=20828> o Web Links for Journalists </media/weblinks.aspx> * About Dana </aboutdana/> o Overview </AboutDana/WhatDanaDoes.aspx> o Timeline </AboutDana/timeline.aspx> o Directors and Staff </aboutdana/staff.aspx> o Annual Report </WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=ID&ItemID=6408> o Financials </WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=ID&ItemID=33652> o Contact Us </ContactUs.aspx> * * * * * * * * * Blog </news/blog.aspx> Books </news/danapressbooks/> Brain in the News </news/braininthenews/> BrainWork </news/brainwork/> o Archives </news/brainwork/archives.aspx> Cerebrum </news/cerebrum/> Neuroeducation </neuroeducation/> Neuroethics </neuroethics/> Free Publications </news/publications/> Report on Progress </news/reportonprogress/>

About Dana Press * Request Publications </membership/subscriptions.aspx> * Services for Subrights [PDF] <http://www.dana.org/uploadedFiles/News_and_Publications/Dana_Press_Books/Ri ghts Catalog-10 Spring.pdf> * Services for Booksellers </news/danapressbooks/detail.aspx?id=21466> Web Resources BrainWeb </resources/brainweb/> Brainy Kids Online </resources/brainykids/> Brain Resources for Seniors </resources/seniors/> Brain Connections </news/publications/publication.aspx?id=19148> Dana Delivers <../../membership/Subscriptions.aspx> <../../membership/Subscriptions.aspx> Follow Us on Twitter Follow Us on Twitter <http://twitter.com/dana_fdn> Dana RSS Feeds <../features/detail.aspx?id=21914> Join Us on Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/BrainAwarenessWeek>

<./> * Share this story <javascript:void(0);> * Printer Friendly <javascript:window.open('/printerfriendly.aspx?id=8912').focus();> * Post a Comment </MemberLogin.aspx?ReturnUrl=~/news/comments.aspx?id=8912> Study participants were shown this series of images. Brain scans suggest that Americans focus more on the objects, East Asians more on the backgrounds. (Printed by permission of the Psychonomic Society from Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience, Vol. 7 (1), 2007) Text Size: a <javascript:WebForm_DoPostBackWithOptions(new WebForm_PostBackOptions("ctl00$cColumn$Article1$Pager1$lnkSmallFont", "", true, "", "", false, true))> a <javascript:WebForm_DoPostBackWithOptions(new WebForm_PostBackOptions("ctl00$cColumn$Article1$Pager1$lnkMediumFont", "", true, "", "", false, true))> a <javascript:WebForm_DoPostBackWithOptions(new WebForm_PostBackOptions("ctl00$cColumn$Article1$Pager1$lnkLargeFont", "", true, "", "", false, true))> Page: *1* </news/brainwork/detail.aspx?id=8912&p=1> 2 </news/brainwork/detail.aspx?id=8912&p=2> Cultural Experience Affects Perception By Kelli Whitlock Burton </news/author.aspx?id=8366> August 23, 2007 A new study of East Asians and Westerners suggests that culture can shape the way some people see the world literally. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), researchers in Illinois and Singapore tracked brain activity in young and elderly participants as they were shown a series of images depicting different objects against varying backgrounds. Their analysis focused on the lateral occipital complex in the brain, which processes visual information about objects. These are the first studies to show that culture is sculpting the brain, says senior researcher Denise Park, a professor of psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The effect is seen not so much in structural changes, but at the level of perception. While all younger participants showed similar brain activity, researchers noted a stark contrast in the neural response between the older groups. In Westerners, the lateral occipital complex remained active; in East Asians, the region responded only minimally. The difference noted between older people in the two cultures can be explained in part by earlier research that suggests East Asian culture is less individual-oriented than Western culture, Park says. East Asian cultures are more interdependent and individuals spend more time monitoring the environment and others, Park says. Westerners focus on individuals and central objects because these cultures tend to be independent and focused more on self than others.

Page: *1* </news/brainwork/detail.aspx?id=8912&p=1> 2 </news/brainwork/detail.aspx?id=8912&p=2> Post a Comment </MemberLogin.aspx?ReturnUrl=~/news/comments.aspx?id=8912> Privacy Policy </aboutdana/privacy.aspx> Copyright 2012 The Dana Foundation All Rights Reserved danainfo@dana.org <mailto:danainfo@dana.org>