Integrating brain, cognition and culture

Abstract

Why should there now appear a journal devoted to integrating cognition and culture? We argue that new methods for examining the origin of brain networks that shape the developing mind provide the basis for such integration. These methods include imaging the human brain at rest or when performing tasks and examining individual differences in network efficiency by studying people with different forms of critical genes. In this article we outline a framework for studying attention, and then apply it to the study of language and number processing. Each domain illustrates how cultural differences influence the brain networks involved in cognition. In each case caregivers often serve as representative of the culture in helping to shape the brain.

The Attention Network Test Database: ADHD and Cross-Cultural Applications

“…The differences in the cross-cultural exploration have intriguing epistemological implications and suggest regional variations in attentional processing. Consistent with the suggestion (Posner and Rothbart, 2017) that alerting is primarily biologically determined the meta-analysis didn't reveal any regional/cultural differences in the alerting network scores. In fact, zero remained a relatively credible value for alerting and orienting comparisons in the three regions.…”

“…Black dots reflect posterior median, thick white band reflects 50% CrI, and thin white band reflects 95% CrI. participants might attend faster and more frequently to focal objects (Posner and Rothbart, 2017). In this application, there would have been significant methodological differences within groups between studies, given that each study could only provide data for a single group.…”

“…The orienting network develops as a function of socialization within culture and community. Executive functioning, which involves the voluntary facilitation of attention, has apparent connections to an individual's cultural environments (Posner and Rothbart, 2017). Given these previously proposed social distinctions between the components of attention, regional differences might be expected to be present in these networks.…”

“…Given these previously proposed social distinctions between the components of attention, regional differences might be expected to be present in these networks. On the other hand, Posner and Rothbart (2017) have suggested that the alerting network may be a more purely biological function. In that case, cross-cultural differences in alertness might not be observed.…”

The Relationship Between Levels of Stress and Academic Performance Among University of Nairobi Students

“…From the cognitive perspective, therefore, the socio cultural diversity which characterizes past studies implies that findings of a study in one setting may not be representative of other settings that comprise populations with different socio-cultural backgrounds (Jan & Popescu, 2014). This may make the findings from such studies not be generalizable because peoples cognitions are influenced by their socio-cultural backgrounds (Sheppard, 2014;Thomson, Kirby & Smith, 2016); Posner & Rothbart, 2017).The implication is that findings from stress researches done among university students in Europe, Asia or the United States may not represent the stress experience of students in Kenyan universities.…”