geography of thought concepts

Analytical Thinking (Western

Isolate objects and use categories/rules

Holistic Thinking (Eastern)

Examine context and relationships

Independent self (Western)

Identity centered on individual characteristics and goals

Interdependent self (Eastern)

Identity centered on relationships and social roles

Personal Agency (western)

Belief that individuals can control their own actions and environments

Social Harmony (Eastern)

Greater emphasis on maintaining relationships and avoiding disruptive conflict

Categorical thinking

Grouping things by shared properties or categories

Relational thinking

Grouping things by how they interact or relate

Object focused attention (western)

Paying more attention to the central topic

Context sensitive attention(East Asian)

Paying more attention to background and surrounding relationships

Formal logic (western)

Rule-based reasoning emphasizing logical consistency