I refer to this article all the time, so even though it’s a few years old, I thought I’d post it. It says that East Asian culture puts more emphasis on context- and therefore a person of this culture is more likely look around and consider the environment.
In the research study, experimenters had people look at photographs of single focal objects against complex backgrounds- such as a fighter jet flying over a mountainous landscape or a tiger by a stream in a forest. They found that the Chinese students (psychology subjects are always broke students) moved their eyes more between the object and its background. The U.S. students looked more immediately and mostly at the object of the photo.
Basically I use this article to explain why I look around the room when I’m in a café instead of at the person opposite me. It’s because I’m Asian! I am of an Asian culture and it makes me contextual.
On a related note, I pay better attention when I’m not looking at the person. This is cultural as well- whether or not you look at the person when you speak to them or listen to them. Some people will think you’re not paying attention to them if you don’t look at them- they’ll actually tell you to look at them, or they’ll wait until you look at them. But ironically that may be when you are least capable of listening.
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Bo wrote:
What about Asians born and raised in the US with a different cultural orientation? I\’m guessing that American born/raised Asians would have results more like the Americans than Asians.
Posted on 05-Jan-08 at 9:00 am | Permalink
Lily wrote:
If you are Asian + American you are f*?$! up of course. Unless you live in sunny Asian empowered California. Then, I hear, you might be okay.
Posted on 05-Jan-08 at 9:10 am | Permalink
Ben Hwang wrote:
I\’m not sure what I\’d actually fall under since I know that I used to not look directly at the person that was talking to me since I had issues with eye contact when I was younger (born and raised in US btw). I wonder if the Chinese students looked elsewhere because of the same. You can actually do both (take a look at how surveillance and intelligence training is done) but for myself, actually focusing on the person is a trained response because it\’s rude.
Truthfully, I\’m not so sure this study is exactly relevant. Mainly because it seems that there\’s a lot variables in whether or not you\’re extroverted, introverted, can handle social environments, and all sorts of other types of scenarios.
IMHO, I think the article perhaps fits you, but it doesn\’t define Asians in general but that\’s my two cents.
Posted on 05-Jan-08 at 9:20 am | Permalink
Lily wrote:
okay, another, better way to say that- if you are Asian + American, it’s your choice. Looking around? It’s cause I’m Asian. Staring you down? It’s cause I’m American!
Posted on 05-Jan-08 at 9:22 am | Permalink
darkmoon wrote:
Going to have to talk to Ernie about the comment posting. Killed my comments before. In any case, while this fits the argument somewhat, I think there\’s a lot more to it than Asians looking around, and Americans focusing on the person.
For one, it\’s rude in western culture not to have eye contact. The other is that being introverted or extroverted, and how you you participate in social environments is key. To quantify that Asians look around and Americans focus on the person? I\’m not sure that\’s entirely true. I had friends that never looked at you direct and it was because they were shy. And they were Caucasian.
Just my two cents, but I think this experiment was in a control state a bit too much.
Posted on 05-Jan-08 at 9:36 am | Permalink
Robert wrote:
I took it a different way in that having an \”Asian\” mentality gives one the ability to view the entire situation whereas having the American mentality causes one to focus only on one aspect.
Posted on 05-Jan-08 at 3:21 pm | Permalink
Mike Lee wrote:
Ooo, interesting article! And good excuse for not staring at people! Though, you know, not staring at someone isn\’t really the same as being aware of the context of the discussion - unless you\’re talking about the place you\’re sitting in.
Posted on 05-Jan-08 at 9:29 pm | Permalink
Xxxtine wrote:
I used to not look people in the eye when talking to them because for some reason, I thought it was rude to stare in such a fashion - it also felt slightly awkward for me … until someone actually looked me in the eye and held my gaze while talking to me. Granted he was selling hats, but I\’ll never forget the genuine warmth that radiated from him.
I don\’t think it\’s an Asian vs. American thing more so than how one\’s brain functions and processes information. As they said, cultural differences are only speculation. There are many different factors also - like how many of those polled drive cars/ ride bikes? ratio of male to female. Also where are these students from?
In any case, according the article they say it most likely an effect of Western Individualism vs Confucianism - \”Hey look there\’s a tiger!\” vs. \”Why is a tiger there?\”
Posted on 05-Jan-08 at 9:37 pm | Permalink
Akrypti wrote:
I grew up in a really Westernized household (I hesitate to say “American” because there were strong European elements) in a predominantly white Catholic/Episcopalian small-town middle American community. However, almost every guy I\’ve ever dated has been an Asian raised in, like, Chinatown or Flushing or an all-Asian community where all their friends growing up were Asian and spoke one Asian language or another at home. Since I did not have that privilege, there is actually a cultural clash that goes on.
I remember with one guy in particular, I’d always have to say, “Look at me when I’m talking to you!” And he’d say in all earnestness, “I’m listening! If I stare at you, then I can’t concentrate as well on what you’re saying!” I wouldn’t have a clue what he meant by that. This article clarifies the situation a bit.
Posted on 06-Jan-08 at 8:11 pm | Permalink
Jesse! wrote:
There are a million flaws to this study. Most of which were already pointed out (esp. by Darkmoon), but here’s my list:
1) it’s a psychological study. Frankly, they know shit about studying culture.
2) it was reported by National Geographic, magazine of exoticism and African boobies.
3) huge generalizations here. I love how subtly Chinese is transposed with “East Asian” and vice/versa… all look the same!
4) when I was in China, people stare… a LOT.
5) As a trained anthropology nut, I always look at context.
Just sayin’
Posted on 07-Jan-08 at 12:59 pm | Permalink
Lily wrote:
I’m not sure I’m a fan of National Geographic either, in general. I’ve seen another article about that research, but I don’t remember where.
Posted on 07-Jan-08 at 7:12 pm | Permalink
Lily wrote:
This is also a tangent, but I find that if you don’t look at some people when you talk, they think you are lying or hiding something. Really, I just happened to be looking down or away.
Posted on 07-Jan-08 at 7:16 pm | Permalink
Frank wrote:
I’m an Asian American who works in the Chinese community everyday. I have yet to see any evidence that eye contact is less valued in our culture.
“This is also a tangent, but I find that if you don’t look at some people when you talk, they think you are lying or hiding something.”
It’s unfortunate that you get misunderstood for that, but I think that reaction is normal in both cultures. It’s one of those universal signs you pick up when learning to read body language.
Posted on 09-Jan-08 at 11:38 am | Permalink