Wojtek Sokolowski wrote:
>Doug:
>
>Are Americans "hard-wired" differently from the Dutch and
Japanese?
>
>
> >[WS:] Two comments:
> >1. I would be inclined to answer this affirmatively, albeit I cannot prove
> >it. AFIK, cognitive experiences do change the neurological structure of the
> >brain, so it is not too farfetched to think that a group that predominantly
> >experienced the open space environment also developed cognitive preference
> >for that. Ditto for the Dutch and the Japanese, where open space was limited.
> >
> >
Even if we assume that "neurological structure" is shaped by open space
environments (a highly speculative claim), Woj is confusing cause and
effect here. The "cognitive perference", according to his speculation,
is the dependent variable, not the independent variable. Leave out all
the pop-neuroscience jargon, and Woj is just saying that people like the
kind of environment they grew up in. There's nothing "hardwired" about
it, unless you believe in the Lamarckian genetic transmission of acquired traits.
Miles
I don't see where Wojtek is saying that that the hardwiring he speculates about was acquired through genetic transmission. Isn't he saying that the neurological structure becomes "hardwired" because of exposure to a specific set of conditions? That is certainly how I read him. I also didn't think this was an inordinately controversial idea. I've only read a few books on cognitive development but the idea seems to be on solid footing from I've read.
John Thornton