Analytic versus holistic cognition: Constructs and measurement

This chapter summarizes research on analytic versus holistic thinking, including locus of attention, causal perception, perception of change, tolerance of contradiction, and categorization-constructs that are widely studied in social psychology and other related fields, such as consumer psychology. The chapter also reviews the literature on the Analysis-Holism Scale (AHS): how it was developed and how it differs from scales that measure other cultural differences (e.g., individualism versus collectivism; independent versus interdependent self; dialectical versus linear self). Empirical evidence supporting the validity of the AHS in various cognitive domains is introduced. The chapter concludes with a review of recently published papers in which the AHS has been validated and utilized for various purposes.