Cross-Cultural Variation in Experience in a Teaching Task

• In Event: Poster Session 07
  In Poster Session: PS 07 Topic - Race, Ethnicity, Culture, Context

Abstract

Culture involves multi-generational social transmission of information between individuals. Observation and teaching, two conduits of social learning, are also key components of cultural transmission. Past experiences and knowledge can shape and impact different teaching styles. Documenting cross-cultural variation in prior knowledge is important for discerning population-level differences and understanding how various cultural determinants impact learning and teaching styles. Traditionally, psychological research has focused on a small proportion of the world’s population threatening to overgeneralize what is known about universal human behavior (Hruschka, et al., 2018). Cross-cultural research seeks to emphasize the inclusion of diverse populations in psychological studies, which is essential to form a complete understanding of human development. This project is part of a larger study examining learning and teaching in cross-cultural populations through learning how to tie a knot. In this study, we focus on participants’ self-reported prior knot experience to examine cultural differences in how prior knowledge impacts teaching and knot-related skill development. Knot tying is an instrumental skill used in many different populations for ornamental, agricultural, daily experiences and making artefacts, and has been used in previous studies of teaching and cultural transmission (Caldwell et al., 2018; Muthukrishna, et al., 2014). Archaeological evidence dating as far back as 300,000 years ago shows the evolutionary importance of knot tying (Scanlon, 2016), which is still an essential skill rooted in social transmission and intergenerational learning. Our objective is to examine the continuity and diversity of prior experience that will likely affect teaching style by studying individuals from diverse human populations. We will examine the different self-reported experiences of knot usage between same-aged peers (4-12-year old's), as well as between caregivers and their children across different populations, which vary in their subsistence style and teaching practices. Comparing data from populations in Malaysia, Brazil, Vanuatu, and Ghana, we showcase cultural differences and similarities in prior knowledge across sites and generations. Data used in this project were collected between 2018-2019. Analysis and interpretation will be completed within the timeframe for the presentation. Self-reported prior knowledge of knots will be categorized and coded by method of use, and we will analyze the impact of sex and age on the prevalence and types of prior knowledge individuals have within and between sites. Such factors shape social variations in a manner which likely impacts the continuity and diversity of knot skills and cultural resourcefulness. We are particularly interested in analyzing these factors because they correlate to different sex roles, manual dexterity, experience levels, and local customs. We predict that distinctive cultural and social experiences will likely show that experiences with knot-tying differs both cross-culturally and cross-generationally, and will impact teaching style. Examining the diversity of knot use will help to improve our understanding of the underlying components of cultural learning and cumulative cultural evolution.

Authors

• Rachel T. Capao, University of Texas at Austin
  Presenting Author

• Quan (Violet) Zhou, University of Texas at Austin
  Non-Presenting Author

• Lydia C Chen, University of Texas at Austin
  Non-Presenting Author

• Emily J. E. Messer, University of Texas at Austin
  Non-Presenting Author

• Bruce Rawlings, University of Texas at Austin
  Non-Presenting Author

• Frankie T. K. Fong, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
  Non-Presenting Author

• Mark Gregory Nielsen, University of Queensland
  Non-Presenting Author

• Vivian Dzokoto, Virginia Commonwealth University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Natalia Bezerra Dutra, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN)
  Non-Presenting Author

• Sabrina P Ghelardi, Independent Researcher
  Non-Presenting Author

• Lara G. S. Silveira, Independent Researcher
  Non-Presenting Author

• Renan A. C. dos Santos, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte
  Non-Presenting Author

• Cristine H. Legare, University of Texas at Austin
  Non-Presenting Author