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Reduced Distractibility in a Remote Culture

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  • Jan W de Fockert
  • Serge Caparos
  • Karina J Linnell
  • Jules Davidoff

Abstract

Background: In visual processing, there are marked cultural differences in the tendency to adopt either a global or local processing style. A remote culture (the Himba) has recently been reported to have a greater local bias in visual processing than Westerners. Here we give the first evidence that a greater, and remarkable, attentional selectivity provides the basis for this local bias. Methodology/Principal Findings: In Experiment 1, Eriksen-type flanker interference was measured in the Himba and in Western controls. In both groups, responses to the direction of a task-relevant target arrow were affected by the compatibility of task-irrelevant distractor arrows. However, the Himba showed a marked reduction in overall flanker interference compared to Westerners. The smaller interference effect in the Himba occurred despite their overall slower performance than Westerners, and was evident even at a low level of perceptual load of the displays. In Experiment 2, the attentional selectivity of the Himba was further demonstrated by showing that their attention was not even captured by a moving singleton distractor. Conclusions/Significance: We argue that the reduced distractibility in the Himba is clearly consistent with their tendency to prioritize the analysis of local details in visual processing.

Suggested Citation

  • Jan W de Fockert & Serge Caparos & Karina J Linnell & Jules Davidoff, 2011. "Reduced Distractibility in a Remote Culture," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(10), pages 1-8, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0026337
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0026337
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. C. Shawn Green & Daphne Bavelier, 2003. "Action video game modifies visual selective attention," Nature, Nature, vol. 423(6939), pages 534-537, May.
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