How city life changes the way we think
To focus on details or the whole? This is one of the major ways that people differ in their style of mental processing.
Past research has shown that people on the autism spectrum tend to focus more on details. Other studies reveal cross-cultural differences. People from collectivist cultures like Japan show a bias for focusing more on the bigger picture, known as global processing, whilst citizens in individualist cultures like Britain show a comparatively greater bias for detail or local processing.
Now a study has made this case that this cultural difference is caused, not so much by degrees of collectivism or individualism, but by exposure to varying levels of urbanisation.
Read more on our Research Digest.
