Study: Americans Don't Understand Others

Corey Binns
Special to LiveScience
LiveScience.com
Wed Jul 18, 10:05 AM ET

Rugged American individualism could hinder our ability to understand other peoples' point of view, a new study suggests.

And in contrast, the researchers found that Chinese are more skilled at understanding other people's perspectives, possibly because they live in a more "collectivist" society.

"This cultural difference affects the way we communicate," said study co-author and cognitive psychologist Boaz Keysar of the University of Chicago.