Search for: All records

Abstract PurposeUric acid (UA), the end product of purine metabolism, serves as a potent deoxidant of the brain. UA may therefore be related to psychological activities that are culturally endorsed and normatively promoted, insofar as such activities would require high levels of cortical processing, and thus, gradually expose the brain to a greater oxidation risk. We tested this analysis in Japan, a society that values interdependence of the self with others. MethodsMiddle-aged Japanese adults (N = 243) were tested twice for the serum UA concentration, with five years in-between. Moreover, an assortment of measures assessing culturally sanctioned traits (those related to interdependence) and culturally non-sanctioned traits (those related to independence) were collected. ResultsWe found that the baseline levels of interdependence predicted an increase in the UA in the next five years. In contrast, there was no such effect for independence. Moreover, the effect of interdependence on the UA increase was mediated by cognitive effort in various domains (such as work, finance, and social relations), suggesting that the culturally sanctioned traits increased cognitive effort devoted to mundane everyday activities, which in turn, predicted the UA to increase over time. Notably, baseline UA levels did not affect changes in psychological traits. ConclusionInterpreting these results in light of UA’s role as a potent antioxidant for brain tissues, we propose that higher UA levels may support metabolically demanding actions aligned with culturally sanctioned practices, particularly those associated with interdependence in the Japanese context. 

Although individuals of Latin American heritage ( Latin Americans in short) are considered interdependent, they also value traits like uniqueness and positivity, like individuals of European American cultural heritage, who are considered independent. It remains unclear whether this inclination toward positivity extends to a bias in self-perception known as self-enhancement. Moreover, if Latin Americans are indeed self-enhancing, it is uncertain how these tendencies align with their interdependent cultural orientation. In this article, we report three studies ( N = 1,246) with three operationalizations of self-enhancement. We found that Mexicans, Colombians, and Ecuadorians show self-enhancement that is mostly similar in magnitude to European Americans. Notably, Study 3 found that self-enhancement is related to interdependence in Latin America: Unlike European Americans, Latin Americans in Ecuador exhibited stronger self-enhancement when interdependence is primed rather than independence. Our findings suggest that among Latin American individuals, self-enhancement not only exists but also reinforces interdependence. 

Research in cultural psychology over the last three decades has revealed the profound influence of culture on cognitive, emotional, and motivational processes shaping individuals into active agents. This article first appeared in the Annual Review of Psychology (2024). It first reviews four notable cultural dimensions believed to underlie cultural variations: independent versus interdependent self, individualism versus collectivism, tightness versus looseness of social norms, and relational mobility. Then it examines how ecology and geography shape human activities and give rise to organised systems of cultural practices and meanings, called eco-cultural complexes. In turn, the eco-cultural complex of each zone is instrumental in shaping a wide range of psychological processes, revealing a psychological diversity that extends beyond the scope of the current East–West literature. Finally, it explores how some of the non-Western cultural zones of today, namely Arab, East Asian, Latin American, and South Asian zones, and discusses how they may have contributed, to varying degrees, to the formation of the contemporary Western cultural zone. 

Research in cultural psychology over the last three decades has revealed the profound influence of culture on cognitive, emotional, and motivational processes shaping individuals into active agents. This article aims to show cultural psychology's promise in three key steps. First, we review four notable cultural dimensions believed to underlie cultural variations: independent versus interdependent self, individualism versus collectivism, tightness versus looseness of social norms, and relational mobility. Second, we examine how ecology and geography shape human activities and give rise to organized systems of cultural practices and meanings, called eco-cultural complexes. In turn, the eco-cultural complex of each zone is instrumental in shaping a wide range of psychological processes, revealing a psychological diversity that extends beyond the scope of the current East–West literature. Finally, we examine some of the non-Western cultural zones present today, including Arab, East Asian, Latin American, and South Asian zones, and discuss how they may have contributed, to varying degrees, to the formation of the contemporary Western cultural zone.