CHAPTER5

This chapter emphasized on tendencies people have when they consider something. Westerners focus on personality factors whereas Easterners focus on context. Nisnett describes this statement with a lot of interesting research results and examples. I got a clear view of the difference by reading an example about what was focused on New York Times (in America) and World Journal (in China) when those two are reporting on the same mass murder case done by McIlvane. The former focuses on MacIlvane's personal dispositions as Westerners give attention to focal object or person, and the latter focuses on his situational factors as Easterners attend greater importance to the context.

Now that I know that there are obvious differences in ways of thinking, it is strange that I am somehow brought up to think in Eastern style of thinking. I wonder what kind of person I'd be if I were born and grew up in America for my entire life.