Sayaka Kawakami
Papers
1
Total Citations
13
H-Index
1
About
Dr. Sayaka Kawakami is a leading figure in cross-cultural cognitive science, whose work illuminates how culture shapes the most fundamental aspects of human interaction. Her primary research areas include nonverbal communication, social cognition, and the cultural psychology of attention and perception. Kawakami’s major contribution lies in challenging long-held assumptions about cultural differences in gaze behavior. Her landmark study, “Gaze behavior in face-to-face interaction: A cross-cultural investigation between Japan and The Netherlands,” leveraged precise eye-tracking during live conversation to reveal that the classic pattern of East Asian gaze avoidance is not supported by naturalistic data. This work, already accumulating 13 citations since its 2025 publication, has reshaped debates on analytic versus holistic cognitive strategies. By bridging experimental rigor with ecological validity, Kawakami has provided a nuanced framework for understanding how culture modulates nonverbal communication. Her findings are essential reading for students of psychology, anthropology, and communication studies, offering a powerful example of how careful methodology can overturn entrenched stereotypes about human behavior.
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