Understanding Cultural Differences: The Michigan Fish Test A blog post dated July 22, 2013, on Professor Michael Roberto's blog explores how people from different cultures perceive visual information differently, specifically referencing the "Michigan Fish Test," a psychological image used to reveal cultural distinctions. --- Main Points The image shows large fish and an underwater scene, with different cultural groups focusing on different aspects. Columbia Professor Sheena Iyengar explains that Americans and Japanese participants perceive the image differently: Americans focus more on the large fish, the "main characters," seeing them as dominant agents influencing their environment. Japanese viewers take a holistic view, focusing on the relationship between fish and environment, perceiving the environment as dominant. In studies by Richard Nisbett and Takahiko Masuda: When presented with altered versions of the image, Japanese participants were more likely to notice changes in the scenery. Americans were better at recognizing the fish across different contexts. Japanese had difficulty recognizing the fish outside of the original context, emphasizing their focus on environment interaction. This reflects broader cultural distinctions: Americans tend to have an individualistic perspective emphasizing individuals. Japanese tend to have a collectivist perspective emphasizing context and relationships. These differences point to fundamentally different ways of understanding control and interaction in the world and how individuals fit within it. --- Related Content Iyengar's research on how American and Japanese children approach choice differently is covered in an earlier blog post (linked by Roberto). --- Sidebar and Additional Resources on Blog Promotions for Professor Roberto's books on leadership and creativity. Links to his courses, social media, and professional profiles. Popular posts covering topics like decision-making, leadership, global business challenges. Archive spanning from 2007 to 2025 showing extensive thought leadership on leadership, decision-making, and strategy. --- About Professor Michael Roberto Trustee Professor of Management at Bryant University, formerly on Harvard Business School faculty. Research and teaching focus on leadership, decision-making, and teams. Author of titles including Unlocking Creativity (2019), Why Great Leaders Don't Take Yes For An Answer, and Know What You Don't Know. --- References CNN article by Sheena Iyengar: Link Image courtesy: Richard Nisbett via CNN.com --- This post offers a compelling illustration of how fundamental cultural perspectives shape cognition, perception, and behavior, particularly in leadership and decision-making contexts.