Do Semantically Consistent Scenes Sharpen Perceived Object Representations Across Different Cultures?
Authors: Hussain Ismail, A.M., Wibowo, J.S., Qi Zheng Leong, B., Estudillo, A.J.
Journal: Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology
Publication Date: 01/01/2026
eISSN: 1747-0226
ISSN: 1747-0218
DOI: 10.1177/17470218261454680
Abstract:Perceptual representations of objects are modulated by the semantic consistency between the object and its context, such as the background scene in which it is embedded. In this registered report, we examined the universality of this semantic consistency effect (SCE) by comparing it across two cultures that are conventionally considered to differ in their tendencies to incorporate context in perception and cognition: White-British and Malaysian-Chinese participants. We measured SCEs by comparing the perceived sharpness of objects embedded in semantically consistent and inconsistent scenes. Malaysian-Chinese participants demonstrated SCEs akin to those observed in the literature, but White-British participants experienced no effect. This cultural difference was not mediated by individual differences in cognitive styles (holistic vs. analytical tendencies in visual processing) and/or self-construals that are commonly believed to bias cognitive styles. We speculate that fundamental differences in predictive coding may account for the observed cultural differences, but more research is required to confirm this hypothesis.
Source: Scopus
Do Semantically Consistent Scenes Sharpen Perceived Object Representations Across Different Cultures?
Authors: Hussain Ismail, A.M., Wibowo, J.S., Qi Zheng Leong, B., Estudillo, A.J.
Journal: Q J Exp Psychol (Hove)
Publication Date: 18/05/2026
Pages: 17470218261454680
eISSN: 1747-0226
DOI: 10.1177/17470218261454680
Abstract:Perceptual representations of objects are modulated by the semantic consistency between the object and its context, such as the background scene in which it is embedded. In this registered report, we examined the universality of this semantic consistency effect (SCE) by comparing it across two cultures that are conventionally considered to differ in their tendencies to incorporate context in perception and cognition: White-British and Malaysian-Chinese participants. We measured SCEs by comparing the perceived sharpness of objects embedded in semantically consistent and inconsistent scenes. Malaysian-Chinese participants demonstrated SCEs akin to those observed in the literature, but White-British participants experienced no effect. This cultural difference was not mediated by individual differences in cognitive styles (holistic vs. analytical tendencies in visual processing) and/or self-construals that are commonly believed to bias cognitive styles. We speculate that fundamental differences in predictive coding may account for the observed cultural differences, but more research is required to confirm this hypothesis.
Source: PubMed
Do Semantically Consistent Scenes Sharpen Perceived Object Representations Across Different Cultures?
Authors: Hussain Ismail, A.M., Wibowo, J.S., Qi Zheng Leong, B., Estudillo, A.J.
Journal: QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
Publication Date: 18/05/2026
eISSN: 1747-0226
ISSN: 1747-0218
DOI: 10.1177/17470218261454680
Source: Web of Science
Do Semantically Consistent Scenes Sharpen Perceived Object Representations Across Different Cultures?
Authors: Hussain Ismail, A.M., Wibowo, J.S., Qi Zheng Leong, B., Estudillo, A.J.
Journal: Quarterly journal of experimental psychology (2006)
Publication Date: 05/2026
Pages: 17470218261454680
eISSN: 1747-0226
ISSN: 1747-0218
DOI: 10.1177/17470218261454680
Abstract:Perceptual representations of objects are modulated by the semantic consistency between the object and its context, such as the background scene in which it is embedded. In this registered report, we examined the universality of this semantic consistency effect (SCE) by comparing it across two cultures that are conventionally considered to differ in their tendencies to incorporate context in perception and cognition: White-British and Malaysian-Chinese participants. We measured SCEs by comparing the perceived sharpness of objects embedded in semantically consistent and inconsistent scenes. Malaysian-Chinese participants demonstrated SCEs akin to those observed in the literature, but White-British participants experienced no effect. This cultural difference was not mediated by individual differences in cognitive styles (holistic vs. analytical tendencies in visual processing) and/or self-construals that are commonly believed to bias cognitive styles. We speculate that fundamental differences in predictive coding may account for the observed cultural differences, but more research is required to confirm this hypothesis.
Source: Europe PubMed Central