Folk Beliefs about Soul and Mind: Cross-Cultural Comparison of Folk Intuitions about the Ontology of the Person

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 346-369
Author(s):  
Arkadiusz Gut ◽  
Andrew Lambert ◽  
Oleg Gorbaniuk ◽  
Robert Mirski

Abstract The present study addressed two related problems: The status of the concept of the soul in folk psychological conceptualizations across cultures, and the nature of mind-body dualism within Chinese folk psychology. We compared folk intuitions about three concepts – mind, body, and soul – among adults from China (N=257) and Poland (N=225). The questionnaire study comprised of questions about the functional and ontological nature of the three entities. The results show that the mind and soul are conceptualized differently in the two countries: The Chinese appear to think of the soul similarly to how they view the mind (importantly, they still seem to see it as separate from the body), while Poles differentiate it both in ontological and functional respects. The study provides important insights into cross-cultural differences in conceptualizing the soul as well as into the nature of Chinese mind-body dualism.

2019 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 365-370
Author(s):  
Qian Dai ◽  
Catherine McMahon ◽  
Ai Keow Lim

Evidence suggests that parental mind-mindedness is important for children’s social-emotional development; however, almost all research exploring mind-mindedness has been conducted with families from Western backgrounds. The current study explored cross-cultural differences in mind-mindedness based on observed real-time interactions between urban Australian ( N = 50, M age = 30.34 years, SD = 3.14) and urban mainland Chinese ( N = 50, M age = 29.18 years, SD = 4.14) mothers and their toddlers (Australian: M age = 18.98 months, SD = 0.87; Chinese: M age = 18.50 months, SD = 2.25). Controlling for education, the Australian mothers used a higher proportion of appropriate mind-related comments and were less likely to use non-attuned mind-related comments than their Chinese counterparts, adjusting for total number of comments. Transcript analysis showed that the Australian mothers used more mental state terms referring to desires and preferences than Chinese mothers. Findings are discussed in relation to cultural influences in child-rearing goals, beliefs, and values and the need for cross-cultural validation of the mind-mindedness construct.


2021 ◽  
Vol 75 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 7512505162p1-7512505162p1
Author(s):  
Chiao-Ju Fang ◽  
Deborah Yun ◽  
Melissa M. Wong ◽  
Thanh Nguyen ◽  
Susan Pfeffer

Abstract Date Presented Accepted for AOTA INSPIRE 2021 but unable to be presented due to online event limitations. The aim of this study was to explore cross-cultural differences in the participation levels of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in different settings (home, school, and the community). The findings indicated that children with ASD in the United States tend to have more resources and support than those in Taiwan. This study will enable OTs and researchers to better understand the differences between Western and Eastern countries. Primary Author and Speaker: Chiao-Ju Fang Additional Authors and Speakers: Deborah Yun, Melissa M. Wong Contributing Authors: Thanh Nguyen, Susan Pfeffer


1972 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 527-532 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard M. Lerner ◽  
Kenneth B. Pool

The body-build stereotypes of 185 Mexican children (150 males, 35 females, Mage = 12.6 yr., SDage = 2.1 yr.) were assessed through the use of a 56-item Verbal Check List containing words or phrases pertaining to physical, social, and personal dimensions of psychosocial experience. Similar to American samples, significant proportions of the Mexican children made negative Endomorph and Ectomorph attributions, and positive Mesomorph attributions. Despite these general similarities, some evidence was found which indicated that these evaluative distinctions were less marked in the Mexican sample. The need for future research on body-build stereotypes is noted and suggestions for such research are made.


2006 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 160-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Senokozlieva ◽  
Oliver Fischer ◽  
Gary Bente ◽  
Nicole Krämer

Abstract. TV news are essentially cultural phenomena. Previous research suggests that the often-overlooked formal and implicit characteristics of newscasts may be systematically related to culture-specific characteristics. Investigating these characteristics by means of a frame-by-frame content analysis is identified as a particularly promising methodological approach. To examine the relationship between culture and selected formal characteristics of newscasts, we present an explorative study that compares material from the USA, the Arab world, and Germany. Results indicate that there are many significant differences, some of which are in line with expectations derived from cultural specifics. Specifically, we argue that the number of persons presented as well as the context in which they are presented can be interpreted as indicators of Individualism/Collectivism. The conclusions underline the validity of the chosen methodological approach, but also demonstrate the need for more comprehensive and theory-driven category schemes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 67 (5) ◽  
pp. 568-579 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haram J. Kim ◽  
Shin Ye Kim ◽  
Ryan D. Duffy ◽  
Nguyen P. Nguyen ◽  
Danni Wang

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nobuko Takeuchi ◽  
Caroline Davis ◽  
Donald R. McCreary

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