Traces of culture: The feedback loop between behavior, brain, and disorder

Abstract

Culture is part of an extensive series of feedback loops, which involve multiple organismic levels including social contexts, cognitive mediations, neural processes, and behavior. Recent studies in neuroscience show that culturally contingent social processes shape some neural pathways. Studying the influence of cultural context on neural processes may yield new insights into psychiatric disorders. New methodologies in the neurosciences offer innovative ways to assess the impact of culture on mental health and illness. However, implementing these methodologies raises important theoretical and ethical concerns, which must be resolved to address patient individuality and the complexity of cultural diversity. This article discusses cultural context as a major influence on (and consequence of) human neural plasticity and advocates a culture–brain–behavior (CBB) interaction model for conceptualizing the relationship between culture, brain, and psychiatric disorders. Recommendations are made for integrating neuroscientific techniques into transcultural psychiatric research by taking a systems approach to evaluating disorders.

The adaptive self: Culture and social flexibility in feedback networks

“…Culture, of course, is characterized by numerous continua of common beliefs and behaviors (Kemmelmeier & Kühnen 2012), and one must also ask how an individual decides which culturally informed behaviors to adhere to. Cognitive mediation of cultural information is arguably a key process that gives rise to the contents and intentionality of mental contents as well as many of the false beliefs that contribute to pathology (Crafa & Nagel 2013; in press; Kitayama & Uskul 2011). Cognitive mediation in this context refers to the process of identity and belief construction based on consciously or unconsciously subscribing to or rejecting information in the sociocultural environment.…”

“…Cognitive mediation in this context refers to the process of identity and belief construction based on consciously or unconsciously subscribing to or rejecting information in the sociocultural environment. Because social information is continuously encountered throughout the lifespan, this process is a feedback loop that constantly feeds into itself, but that also shapes the biological, neurological, and psychological constitution of the individual (Crafa & Nagel 2013; in press). New social experiences may reinforce or alter existing biological, neural, and psychological processes by providing both information and impetus.…”