Knowing minds: Culture and perceptions of mental state access. Issue 3 (31st March 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wice, Matthew; Karasawa, Minoru; Matsui, Tomoko; Miller, Joan G.
• Is Part Of: Asian journal of social psychology. Volume 23:Issue 3(2020)
• Page Start: 319
• Page End: 327
• Publication Date: 2020-03-31
• Subjects: culture -- mental states -- metacognition -- social cognition -- theory of mind; Social psychology -- Periodicals; Social psychology -- Asia -- Periodicals; 302.095
• DOI: 10.1111/ajsp.12404
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1367-2223

Abstract

Abstract : How does culture influence the ways in which individuals reflect upon their knowledge of others' mental states? We addressed this question in a two‐study cross‐cultural investigation examining perceptions of mental state access in the United States and Japan. Study 1 ( n = 100) revealed that American participants reported greater mental state access than did Japanese participants. Study 2 ( n = 146) showed that both Americans and Japanese perceived greater access to the mental states of a close friend relative to a casual friend and that the observed cultural differences in perceived mental state access to a close friend's mental states were mediated by how much access was considered appropriate. Overall, the results indicate that culturally variable norms specifying appropriate levels of mental state access play an important role in how individuals estimate their knowledge of other people's minds in close relationships.