Page 93 - Communication across Cultures

Chapter 3 Culture’s Influence on Perception

and how they interpret sensory information. For example, cultural norms and values
may affect what is considered important or relevant to perceive in a given situation. Ad-
ditionally, cultural practices and experiences can shape individuals’ sensory preferences
and sensitivities. For instance, certain cultures may value visual aesthetics more than
others, leading individuals to focus more on visual stimuli.
Moreover, cultural groups often develop their own unique sets of perceptual biases,
influencing how they interpret and make sense of incoming information. These biases
can extend to various domains, including language, face perception, spatial perception,
and even time perception. Culture can shape individuals’ attentional focus, perceptual
categorization, and interpretation of social cues.
Let’s take a look at the English words used to refer to color perceptions.
Speakers of English divide the color spectrum, as shown in the diagram below.

Then look at the Chinese words used to refer to color perceptions. Chinese speakers
divide the color spectrum, as shown in the diagram below.

It’s important to note that cultural influences on sensation and perception are not

81