Allison Abbe
The United States and China are prone to systematic cognitive and cultural biases that distort their mutual perceptions. Addressing these biases through cultural education and professional development is essential to overcoming blind spots in understanding the United States’ primary competitor. By applying dynamic constructivist theories from cross-cultural psychology to national security, this monograph builds on existing scholarship to reveal specific cognitive asymmetries between Western and East Asian observers. Differences such as holism, dialecticism, social inference, and perspective taking reflect the cultural lenses through which security actors perceive their competitors’ actions and intentions, but US observers often overlook the cultural factors shaping their own and others’ perspectives. Misperceptions between the United States and China raise the risk of miscalculation and conflict. To address this gap in understanding, this monograph draws on research in cross-cultural psychology, the literature on cognitive bias, and historical case studies, including lessons from US Army red-teaming and military culture programs developed during the Iraq War and the Afghanistan War. The monograph provides policymakers and military practitioners with actionable insights into how cultural cognition shapes threat assessment, intention judging, and perspective taking. Recommendations for cultural education, workforce recruiting and retention, perspective taking and seeking in practice, and long-term workforce development will help defense institutions sharpen the United States’ competitive advantage in the Indo-Pacific.
Keywords:
culture, cognitive bias, mirror imaging, cultural cognition, strategic empathy, perspective taking, cognitive flexibility