The Role of Culture in Anthropomorphic Beliefs Among White-Canadian, Asian-Canadian, and Chinese Children and Adults

• In Event: 2-192 - Cultural and religious differences in anthropomorphism of technology, nature, fictional characters, and supernatural agents

Integrative Statement

Individuals vary considerably in their tendency to attribute minds and internal states to non-human others, leading researchers to question the source of individual differences in anthropomorphism (e.g., Epley et al., 2007; Waytz et al, 2010). One likely source is culture, yet little research has explored cultural differences in anthropomorphism (e.g., Asquith, 1986). The current study sought to bridge this gap by examining the role of culture on the development of anthropomorphic beliefs among White-Canadian and Asian-Canadian children and adults in comparison to Chinese children and adults.

The Canadian child sample (N=118) included 4 to 6-year-olds (n=62, Mage=5.38 years, SD=.83, 53.2% female) and 7- to 10-year-olds (n=56, Mage=8.41 years, SD=1.12, 48.2% female) comprised of Asian (n=30) White (n=88) children from British Columbia, Canada. The Canadian adult sample included 145 adult undergraduates (Mage=20.76 years, SD=4.49, range 17-52; 75.4% female) from University of British Columbia comprised of Asian (n=63) and White (n=81) adults. The Chinese sample included 299 children 4 to 6-years-old (Mage=5.04 years, SD=0.83 years; 50.5% female) and 294 adult undergraduates (Mage=19.3 years, SD=1.89 years, range 16-28; 53.1% female) from Hubei province in central China.

Participants were administered the Individual Differences in Anthropomorphism Questionnaire-Child Form (IDAQ-CF; Severson & Lemm, 2016), a 12-item measure of attributions of consciousness, emotions, intentions, and minds to technology, inanimate nature, and non-human animals. The IDAQ-CF is comprised of two correlated subscales relating to anthropomorphic beliefs about (1) technology and inanimate nature and (2) non-human animals. Child participants responded on a 4-point scale (0=not at all, 3=a lot) and adults responded on a 10-point scale (1=Not at all; 10=A lot).

Within the Canadian child sample, Asian-Canadian children showed a decrease with age in anthropomorphism of technology and inanimate nature, whereas White-Canadian children were largely consistent across age groups, F(1,114)=7.07, p=.009 (Figure 1). Moreover, Asian-Canadian 4- to 6-year-olds did not differ from their Chinese counterparts in their anthropomorphic beliefs about animals nor technology and inanimate nature, yet White-Canadian 4- to 6-year-olds anthropomorphized to a significantly lesser degree than Chinese children (ps<.003). However, Asian-Canadian and White-Canadian adults anthropomorphize to the same degree (ps>.91) (Figure 2). Yet, both Asian-Canadian and White-Canadian adults anthropomorphize technology and inanimate nature less than Chinese adults (p<.001), but do not differ in their anthropomorphism of animals (p>.83).

In summary, younger Asian-Canadian children anthropomorphize technology and inanimate nature to a greater degree than White-Canadian children, but were on par with Chinese children. However, older Asian-Canadian children showed a reversal in which their anthropomorphic beliefs about technology and inanimate nature steeply declined. By adulthood, Asian-Canadians and White-Canadians were identical in their anthropomorphic beliefs, and were less likely than Chinese to view technology and inanimate nature in anthropomorphic terms. These data suggest that cultural influences on anthropomorphic beliefs may be more proximal in childhood (e.g., family culture), but over the course of development broader cultural beliefs may influence (supporting or undermining) individual’s anthropomorphic beliefs. Future research is needed to further explore the influence of culture on the development of anthropomorphism.

Authors

• Rachel Severson, University of Montana
  Presenting Author

• Hui Li, Tianjin Normal University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Susan Birch, University of British Columbia
  Non-Presenting Author

• Angeline Lillard, University of Virginia
  Non-Presenting Author