Intercultural Differences in Categorization Style: Israeli Jewish and Arab Students Perform Word Sorting Tasks

• In Event: 72.065 - Roundtable Session 30
  In Roundtable Session: 72.065-5 - International Perspectives in Student Motivation

Abstract

Israel's multicultural context requires consideration of learners’ diversity as underlying fundamental academic differences. We investigated cultural effects on cognitive functioning, comparing Jewish and Arab adults' categorization style on word sorting tasks, with bivalent (taxonomic and thematic) stimuli and with/without feedback. No group difference emerged for correct categorization performed. However, on average, Jewish participants were significantly more efficient at maintaining established task goals than Arab participants, the latter attending to authoritative feedback more than the formers. We suggest that these findings stem from differences cultivated in participants' different cultures, in their internalization practices and automaticity of routines related to specific cognitive tasks like categorization, and from the constraints of the educational environments in which they operate. Implications for educators are discussed.

Authors

• Billie Eilam, University of Haifa

• Ester Koilis, Intel Corporation