Page 89 - Communication across Cultures

Chapter 3 Culture’s Influence on Perception

bers of a particular culture. Whether we feel delighted or ill at the thought of eating
the meat of a cow, fish, dog, or snake depends on what our culture has taught us about
food.
Research shows people filter information physiologically, sociologically, and psy-
chologically.

3.2.1 Physiological Cross-Cultural Difference

Indeed, research suggests that individuals filter information physiologically based
on their attentional and perceptual processes. The brain plays a crucial role in filtering
and processing sensory information to prioritize relevant stimuli and suppress irrelevant
or distracting ones. Here are a few key points related to physiological filtering of infor-
mation:
1) Selective Attention
Selective attention is the process by which individuals focus on specific sensory
inputs while filtering out irrelevant or peripheral stimuli. This filtering mechanism oc-
curs at both the sensory and cognitive levels. The brain’s attentional networks regulate
which sensory information receives preferential processing and conscious awareness.
Sensory level filtering: At the sensory level, selective attention filters incoming
sensory information before it reaches higher cognitive processing. Our senses continu-
ously gather a vast amount of information from the environment, but not all of it is pro-
cessed equally. Sensory filters help prioritize relevant information for further process-
ing while inhibiting or attenuating irrelevant stimuli. For example, in vision, the brain
uses mechanisms like feature detection and spatial filtering to focus on specific visual
attributes or regions of interest.
Cognitive level filtering: Once sensory information passes through the initial fil-
tering at the sensory level, further selection occurs at the cognitive level. This involves
higher-order cognitive processes related to attention, working memory, and goal-di-
rected behaviors. Cognitive processes help direct attentional resources toward relevant
stimuli and filter out distractions. Attentional control allows individuals to concentrate
on specific tasks, selectively attend to relevant information, and suppress irrelevant in-
formation.
Selective attention operates using two main mechanisms:
- Bottom-up (stimulus-driven) attention: Bottom-up attention is driven by the sa-
lience or characteristics of sensory stimuli. Stimuli that are novel, intense, or inherently
attention-grabbing capture our attention automatically. These stimuli can temporarily

77