Final answer:
In a cross-cultural study, Chinese adults showed a greater correspondence bias than American adults, likely influenced by the collectivist nature of Chinese culture, which emphasizes contextual understanding over individual attributes.
Step-by-step explanation:
In a cross-cultural study comparing Chinese and American adults on the concept of correspondence bias, Chinese adults showed a greater tendency than American adults. Correspondence bias, often related to the actor-observer bias, is the tendency to attribute a person's behavior too much to their personality or disposition and too little to environmental or situational factors. This bias is thought to be less prevalent in collectivist cultures like China where the context and relationships are given more weight in understanding behavior.
Looking at the cultural differences in perception and cognition, various studies have found that people from collectivistic cultures, like those in China, tend to pay more attention to contextual information than do people from individualistic cultures, like those in the United States. This difference in focus might contribute to the level of correspondence bias exhibited by individuals from these cultures. For instance, when considering globalization, Chinese adults may see it in the context of broader community benefits, whereas American adults may view it in terms of individual or national gains or losses, which aligns with the findings of countries' attitudes towards increasing globalization.