Effect of Cultural Priming on Social Behavior and EEG Correlates of Self-Processing
Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience October 8, 2018 Gennady G. Knyazev, Ekaterina A. Merkulova, Alexander N. Savostyanov et al.
Cultural mindsets, whether individualistic or collectivistic, can be temporarily activated through priming and influence brain connectivity and social behavior. After collectivism priming, self-related thoughts were linked to increased connectivity between the default mode network (DMN) and the right temporoparietal junction, a region involved in perspective-taking. After individualism priming, such thoughts were linked to increased connectivity with the temporal pole, involved in self/other discrimination. Individual differences in the intensity of self-related thoughts and DMN-temporal pole connectivity after priming predicted behavior in a social interaction task: an individualistic mindset predisposed individuals to more friendly and trustful behavior.