Using a Visualized Reaction-Time Task to Assess Implicit Cognition in Brazilian and Japanese-Descendant Children

Abstract

Empirical evidence gathered among different cultures suggests that visual perception, attention and overall cognition are influenced by cultural contexts. Studies comparing western and eastern cultures present strong data showing differences on face recognition, spatial attention and other cognitive aspects. Based on those assertions, the present study proposes a reaction-time task to assess implicit cognition in children to understand the development of self-concept based on other cognitive functions such as face perception. Participated from this study 36 Brazilian children with age range of 9-to-11 years old. Participants were divided by ascendance: Japanese and Western; and paired by age and sex. An Implicit Association Test was programmed to measure the level of implicit attitude of participants towards their own and the other studied ethnicity. Results suggest that, despite of same nationality-all children were Brazilian; cultural background plays an important role on diverse cognitive domains.