CROSS-CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN PROCESSES UNDERLYING SEQUENTIAL COGNITIVE ACTIVITY

Similarities and differences in the processes underlying performance o n the Stroop Color-Word Test (Card A, 100 color words/black ink; Card B, 100 color patches; Card C, 100 color words/incongruous ink color) w ere investigated with Japanese (N=96) and Americans (N=96) with stimul us items read: (a) vertically, top to bottom; and (b) horizontally, le ft to right. Total time as well as errors, namely, those involved with the underlying processes of identification and sequential organizatio n, were significantly longer or more frequent on Card C than on Cards A and B for both nationalities and spatial arrangements. Further, grea ter frequency of serial organization errors in females than in males w as obtained for the Japanese group, and the opposite for the American group. The implications and directions for future research are discuss ed.