TY - JOUR
T1 - Culture-Related and Individual Differences in Regional Brain Volumes
T2 - A Cross-Cultural Voxel-Based Morphometry Study
AU - Huang, Chih Mao
AU - Doole, Robert
AU - Wu, Changwei W.
AU - Huang, Hsu Wen
AU - Chao, Yi Ping
PY - 2019/9/10
Y1 - 2019/9/10
N2 - Converging behavioral and functional neuroimaging evidence indicates that East Asian and Western individuals have different orientations for processing information that may stem from contrasting cultural values. In this cross-cultural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study, we used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) approach to investigate culture-related and individual differences of independent-interdependent orientation in structural brain volume between 57 Taiwanese and 56 Western participants. Each participant’s degree of endorsement of independent and interdependent cultural value was assessed by their self-report on the Singelis Self-Construal Scale (SCS). Behaviorally, Taiwanese rated higher SCS scores than Westerners in interdependent value and Westerners rated higher SCS scores than Taiwanese in independent value. The VBM results demonstrated that Western participants showed greater gray matter (GM) volume in the fronto-parietal network, whereas Taiwanese participants showed greater regional volume in temporal and occipital regions. Our findings provide supportive evidence that socio-cultural experiences of learned independent-interdependent orientations may play a role in regional brain volumes. However, strategic differences in cognition, genetic variation, and/or modulations of other environmental factors should also be considered to interpret such culture-related effects and potential individual differences.
AB - Converging behavioral and functional neuroimaging evidence indicates that East Asian and Western individuals have different orientations for processing information that may stem from contrasting cultural values. In this cross-cultural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study, we used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) approach to investigate culture-related and individual differences of independent-interdependent orientation in structural brain volume between 57 Taiwanese and 56 Western participants. Each participant’s degree of endorsement of independent and interdependent cultural value was assessed by their self-report on the Singelis Self-Construal Scale (SCS). Behaviorally, Taiwanese rated higher SCS scores than Westerners in interdependent value and Westerners rated higher SCS scores than Taiwanese in independent value. The VBM results demonstrated that Western participants showed greater gray matter (GM) volume in the fronto-parietal network, whereas Taiwanese participants showed greater regional volume in temporal and occipital regions. Our findings provide supportive evidence that socio-cultural experiences of learned independent-interdependent orientations may play a role in regional brain volumes. However, strategic differences in cognition, genetic variation, and/or modulations of other environmental factors should also be considered to interpret such culture-related effects and potential individual differences.
KW - cultural differences
KW - cultural values
KW - independence-interdependence orientations
KW - magnetic resonance imaging
KW - voxel-based morphometry
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85072985769&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85072985769&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00313
DO - 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00313
M3 - Article
C2 - 31551740
AN - SCOPUS:85072985769
VL - 13
SP - 313
JO - Frontiers in Neuroscience
JF - Frontiers in Neuroscience
SN - 1662-4548
M1 - 313
ER -