Scientists researching the effects of language on thought want expatriate volunteers to help with their research.
Scientists at the Beijing Normal University are looking into how ones spoken language affects the way they think, and they will be using brain-mapping technology to peer into the heads of their subjects.
The study, entitled Kinship Representation in the Brain: A Cross-cultural Study, will examine the different terms Westerners use to refer to family compared to Asians by using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology to examine neural activity.
Research director at the State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning in Beijing Normal University, Liu Chao, said: “In the Chinese language there are more than 30 different terms used to identify family members of three different generations, in the English language there are only 15 such words.”
To help with the research Chao is looking for native English speakers from the United Kingdom or the USA between the ages of 18 and 35, another requirement is that they must be right handed. For their troubles respondents will be given a 3D, high resolution, image of their brain and a fee of 100 Yuan.
If you are an expat in the Beijing area and are interested in taking part contact the Beijing Normal University.