Effects of choice on performance in two cultures

Research in Japan and the United States has demonstrated that learning and memory may be improved when individuals are permitted to choose materials to be learned. In Japanese studies, the effects appear to be limited to the specific materials actually chosen, whereas in the United States, choice enhances recall of chosen as well as other materials that are later assigned. In the United States, personal choice has been hypothesized to affect both the learner's relationship to the chosen materials as well as motivation; in Japan personal choice affects the relationship between the learner and the chosen materials. Apparently the consequences of choice may vary in these cultures.