On the Differences between Chinese and American Mode of Thinking

【Abstract】Different cultures generate different modes of thinking， which can lead to the differences in the process of social communication， namely， in people behaviors and verbal and non-verbal communications. Therefore， it is necessary to analyze the differences between Chinese and American mode of thinking to make sure the smooth development of Sino-American cross-cultural communications.

【Key words】mode of thinking； China； America

1. Introduction

As people grow up， their modes of thinking will be gradually formed and stabilized under the influence of social environment and local culture. Once their modes of thinking are formed， people will get used to thinking in this way and their behaviors will be guided by them. Geography and history of a certain area have strong influences on peoples mode of thinking， which is the reason why different cultures always have their own systematic mode of thinking. Therefore， Chinese and Americans have sharply different mode of thinking. The differences on mode of thinking can lead to different ways of expression， different outlooks on life and values， different behaviors and ways of communication in cross-cultural communications. Thus， a sound understanding of the differences between Chinese and American mode of thinking will help us develop a better awareness towards inter-cultural obstacles， which will effectively eliminate misunderstandings and conflicts among people from different nations.

2. Different Modes of Thinking between Chinese and Americans

2.1 Synthetic Thinking v.s. Analytical Thinking

Synthetic thinking and Analytical thinking are the two basic ways of thinking and they are the mainstream of thinking mode. Synthetic thinking puts all things into a complex whole to consider their organic connections， focusing on the whole correlativity instead of studying the parts. Synthetic thinking is the main characteristic of traditional Chinese mode of thinking. Chinese people are not good at using analytic method to explore each part of things， however， they tend to view the whole picture. And that is the reason why Chinese people find it hard to reveal the the cause and effect of a phenomenon step by step. Nisbett points out that synthetic approaches rely on experience-based knowledge rather than abstract logic and are dialectical， which means that there is an emphasis on change， a recognition of contradiction and the need of multiple perspectives to search for the Middle Way between opposing subjects.

Analytical thinking uses a methodically step-by-step approach to break down complex problems or processes into constituent parts， identifies cause and effect patterns and analyzes problems to arrive at appropriate solutions. Generally speaking， Americans emphasize more on the analysis of complex things separeately and attach great importance on their cause and effect， which makes analytical thinking a major characteristic of their mode of thinking.

2.2 Inductive Thinking v.s. Deductive Thinking

Inductive thinking and deductive thinking are another two important ways of thinking. According to S. Bakers opinion， induction and deduction are two important paths of reasoning. Induction is “l(fā)eading into”， thinking from some evidences to some general conclusions. Deduction is “l(fā)eading away from”， thinking from some general laws to their particular parts and results.

As for the Chinese mode of thinking， traditionally speaking， it has a strong tendency of thinking inductively， which means the Chinese focus more on experiential and intuitional induction and lack deductive logic when analyzing things. On the contrary， American peoples mode of thinking belongs to deductive pattern， because they would like to study and analyze things from the general to the particular， and from the abstract to the specific.

2.3 Past-orientation v.s. Future-orientation

People from different countries usually have different time conceptions， which leads to different time-orientations and indicates different modes of thinking. In general， time orientation can be divided into two categories： past-orientation and future-orientation. Past-orientation takes a strong belief in the significance of prior events， and holds the opinion that the past should be the guide in making present decisions. Future-orientation emphasizes the future and expects it to be grander and nicer than the present.

China is a past-orientated country. Because of its long history， Chinese people are always proud of their traditional culture and worship their ancestors. As the old Chinese saying goes， “Consider the past and you will know the present.” They are likely to look for answers and advices to resolve current dilemmas from the past， so it is very normal for the Chinese to hold a past-oriented mode of thinking when faced with some big decisions. However， American people have a strong preference for the future-orientation. In their mind， the most important thing in life is to pursue the future and happiness. They pay more attention to future plans instead of caring about what people achieved in the past， and most American are constantly preparing for their future. American peoples such time conception makes the American mode of thinking exhibit future-orientated characteristic， which means Americans always expect the results of their actions and future in their eyes is not only a time concept， but also a reflection of peoples intention and action.

3. Conclusion

Different cultures generate different values， manners， modes of thinking， linguistic styles and so on， all of which can greatly influence the process of cross-cultural communications. While among all the factors， mode of thinking plays the prerequisite role， because it affects almost all aspects of peoples lives， and apparently different mode of thinking contributes to different communication behaviors， which may cause misinterpretations in mutual understanding. Thus， the recognition of the differences between Chinese and American mode of thinking is of great significance in safeguarding the smoothness of Sino-American cross-cultural communications.

References：

[1]Nisbett R.E.，Peng K.，Choi I.，and Norenzayan A.，Culture and Systems of Thought：Holistic v.s.Analytic Cognition[J].Psychological Review，2001：291-310.

[2]ShlechterT.and Toglia M.eds.，New Directions in Cognitive Science[M].New Jersey：Ablex Publishing Corp，1985：91.

[3]Larry A.S.and Richard E.P.，and Lisa A.S.，Communication between Cultures[M].Belmont：Wadsdworth Publishing Company，1998：132.

作者簡介：李德俊（1981-），男，漢族，山東青島人，副教授，主要研究方向：英語國家文化。