Behavior OnLine Forums  
The gathering place for Mental Health and
Applied Behavior Science Professionals.
 
Become a charter member of Behavior OnLine.

Go Back   Behavior OnLine Forums > >

Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #51  
Old October 23rd, 2006, 10:28 PM
Daniel Wang Daniel Wang is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 7
Default Re: Race Differences and Intelligence

There is another side to the apparent high IQs of East Asians. In fact, what constitutes intelligence is very much debatable in a cross-civilizational context.

To put a complex idea into a few short lines, the Asian mind is bifurcated, where the part dealing with social relations is virtually paralyzed (forced to submit to a strictly hierarchical social code), giving the other part which deals with material things (such as technology) most of its energy. In addition, the unforgiving nature of the Confucian culture is manifested in its uniform child rearing practices, leaving the Asian mind in perpetual insecurity, which propels much of its learning.

Here is the link to my recent book "The Confucian Mind", which traces the evolution of Asian (Chinese and Japanese) psychology since the very beginning:

https://www2.xlibris.com/bookstore/b...p?bookid=35138
Reply With Quote
  #52  
Old October 23rd, 2006, 11:34 PM
Margaret McGhee Margaret McGhee is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 271
Default Re: Race Differences and Intelligence

Daniel, Your book looks very interesting. I'll put it on my list. If you've been following some of these discussions you know that I see the mind as a mechanism that resolves emotional forces to produce behavior choices. I see cognition as a resource that can be called up by emotional need to contribute additional data, weighted with appropriate emotional value - but is basically along for the ride.

I believe that maturing (for all mammals) is developing a functioning emotional landscape in our minds that allows us to survive and find happiness in life. I am sure that there are significant cultural differences in how one's emotional landscape emerges as a product of our development and experience. Your comments on how Asian's think differently are interesting in this regard.

From the excerpts I have read, I saw no mention that genetics is involved in any significant way. Can I assume that is the case generally with your pov? I have known third generation Asian-American friends who seem quite American in their thinking - which would again point to culture as the dominant influence.

Also, in my own experience, I have had occasion to hire employees who were retired from the US military. I was surprised at first to see some consistent behavior patterns - that I attributed to their military culture - that were quite different from my typical male non-military employee. For one, they almost never contradicted or argued with me or any superior. They were always willing to do whatever was asked of them and seemed averse to second-guessing their supervisor - something most of my male employees seemed to enjoy immensely.

This really stood out - as my companies tended to be free-form, not hierarchical in structure. Employees were expected to constructively question decisions and creatively contribute to the direction. These ex-military employees had a hard time with that - and I had a hard time with them for that reason. None of them worked out to be long term employees.

To me that illustrates the power that culture can have on thinking and behavior patterns - which is the theme of your book it seems. Let me know if I'm on the wrong track. Thanks for your comments.

Margaret

Last edited by Margaret McGhee; October 24th, 2006 at 10:35 AM..
Reply With Quote
  #53  
Old October 24th, 2006, 02:09 AM
Daniel Wang Daniel Wang is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 7
Default Re: Race Differences and Intelligence

Margaret,

I do not know if genetics plays a part in human IQ or “smartness” however measured. I am of the point of view that “culture” (a somewhat overloaded and vague term) is not genetic, but rather trained in the family, especially non-Western cultures.

However, since the training starts the day the baby is born, and has a visible impact – laying a framework on the baby’s blank slate – within a short time (sometimes as short as a few months), it often appears to the outside observer that culture is genetically based.

Asian experience tells me that if the human mind is put under enough duress, cognition can and does generate emotions. If I have to love my abusive father to survive, then I will love him. By that I do not mean just obedience, but “sincere” love, with all the devotion and voluntary self-sacrifice implied. My book details this mental process multiple times, under different circumstances. If I have to love my dear leader (Kim Jong Ill is a good example) to survive, then I will love him with every fiber of my existence. Do not believe the argument coming out of China and South Korea that if pushed too far economically, the North Korean government will collapse. The whole country could starve to death and they will still love and worship the Dear Leader, Chinese and South Koreans know this Confucian psyche only too well.

Since the bulk of Asian emotions are of this kind (a symptom of Stockholm Syndrome), both in the family and in the society, it begs new definition, so far not considered in the Western context, of what constitutes real emotion or cognition. If one spends his entire life, as Asians do, under coercion, real and perceived, we obviously can not apply established Western theories of psychology here.

Last edited by Daniel Wang; October 28th, 2006 at 03:41 AM..
Reply With Quote
  #54  
Old October 24th, 2006, 02:39 PM
Fred H. Fred H. is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 483
Default Re: Race Differences and Intelligence

Quote:
I was surprised at first to see some consistent behavior patterns - that I attributed to their military culture - that were quite different from my typical male non-military employee. For one, they almost never contradicted or argued with me or any superior.
Yeah, WACs tended to be passive that way, but male soldiers have been known to frag an incompetent officer on occasion.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 07:05 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright © 1995-2023 Liviant Internet LLC. All rights reserved.