The effect of macrocultures and microcultures on visual perception

Abstract

Culture is defined as the social transmission of ideas, arts, knowledge, and languages (Mish et al, 1993; Pickett et al., 2006; Jewell & Abate, 2001). Psychological research often overlooks small distinct cultures such as Deaf and Video Game cultures by focusing on macro-level categorizations. The current literature review assesses both macrocultures and microcultures in terms of different aspects of visual perception. Differences in optical illusion perception, peripheral vision and motion processing, spatial, and facial perception among people from typical mainstream cultures and Deaf and Video Game cultures are discussed. It is argued that the more immersed and involved in a culture an individual is, the more experience he or she gains with certain events and activities. Culture thus informs perceptual, cognitive, and countless other experiences. Future studies are recommended to further examine how microcultures affect different psychological and physiological processes.