Exploring how Cultural Differences in Narrative Style are associated with Ratings of Credibility among East Asian and Western European Community Members

Culture shapes the retrieval of personal memories. However, little is known regarding how these cultural differences influence perceived credibility of memory. The aim of this study was to assess how cultural differences in narrative style were associated with ratings of credibility. To examine this aim, we used a 2 (cultural group; East Asian vs. Western European; between-subjects) x 2 (narrative style; collectivistic vs. individualistic; within-subjects) x 2 (narrative type; real vs. fictional; within-subjects) design. Using Prolific to recruit participants, East Asian (n= 163) and Western European (n= 160) community members rated each narrative for credibility (accuracy, believability, confidence in truthfulness). The Western European group reported that the real individualistic narrative was significantly more credible than the East Asian group. In contrast, the East Asian group reported that the real collectivistic narrative was more credible than the Western European group. Both groups reported the real individualistic narrative was significantly more credible than the other narrative types, while the real collective narrative was reported to be the least credible. In conclusion, these preliminary findings indicate that cultural differences in the retrieval of memory may influence ratings of credibility. Further research in this area is needed given potential legal and clinical implications.