Discussion Questions

  1. In America, both boys and girls are encouraged to have careers outside of the home. In contrast, there are other countries in which girls are not only discouraged from working outside the home but also not permitted to have an education. Could such cultural differences contribute to cross-cultural sex differences in cognition?

  2. Many studies that assess cross-cultural cognitive differences rely upon meta analyses. Why do you think this is?

  3. Do different cultures value certain cognitive functions or skills more or less than other cultures? I would imagine that indigenous cultures, for example, value spatial skills more than western cultures.

  4. In Chapter 11, you learned about cognitive illusions and how they affect decision making. Do you think all cultures are affected equally by cognitive illusions? Why?

  5. We tend to think of cultures as independent entities with different values, customs, and beliefs. Can you think of any two cultures that actually have many commonalities? With so many similarities, how can these cultures be considered different?