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Culture is an optometrist: Cultural contexts adjust the prescription of social learning bifocals

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 November 2022

Jennifer M. Clegg
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA jclegg@txstate.eduhttps://www.psych.txstate.edu/faculty/psydirectory/Jennifer-Clegg.html
Nicole J. Wen
Affiliation:
Department of Life Sciences, Centre for Culture & Evolution, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 3PH, UKnicole.wen@brunel.ac.ukhttps://www.brunel.ac.uk/people/nicole-wen
Bruce Rawlings
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Durham Cultural Evolution Research Centre, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE, UKbruce.rawlings@durham.ac.ukhttps://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/bruce-rawlings/

Abstract

The “prescription” of humans' social learning bifocals is fine-tuned by cultural norms and, as a result, the readiness with which the instrumental or conventional lenses are used to view behavior differs across cultures. We present evidence for this possibility from cross-cultural work examining children's imitation and innovation.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

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