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The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in significantly higher mortality rates in the United States compared to East Asian countries such as Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. An international research team led by Stanford University investigated this disparity, suggesting that "cultural defaults" played a crucial role in shaping national responses to the pandemic.

According to the research, cultural defaults are habitual ways of thinking and acting ingrained in a society's culture. These defaults influence how nations respond to crises like a pandemic. The study found that the U.S., with its individualistic cultural defaults, faced challenges that were not as prevalent in collectivist societies like those in East Asia.

Lead author Hazel Rose Markus explained that while American traits such as optimism and personal choice often benefit individuals, they proved less effective during the pandemic. Markus stated, “We have introduced the concept of cultural defaults as a new and unexamined reason for the dramatic differences in life and death from COVID-19 in the United States and some East Asian countries.”

Cultural defaults are shaped by institutions, media, and social practices rather than being inherent human traits or stereotypes. Co-author Jeanne L. Tsai expressed hope that understanding these cultural factors could aid policymakers: “By showcasing that cultural defaults are important for explaining behavior, we hope our paper can help policymakers and decision-makers learn from what happened during COVID-19 to better deal with current crises and plan for future challenges.”

Published in Psychological Science in the Public Interest, the paper includes contributions from Yukiko Uchida of Kyoto University; Amrita Maitreyi of Stanford SPARQ; and Angela Yang, a Stanford graduate. The researchers analyzed decades of studies on cultural psychology and linked these findings to governmental responses during the pandemic.

The study identified six pairs of contrasting cultural defaults between American individualism and East Asian collectivism. For example, Americans tended toward optimism about their personal risk regarding COVID-19—an "optimism-uniqueness" default—while East Asians took a more realistic view—a "realism-similarity" default.

Statements from leaders reflected these differences. Anthony Fauci initially downplayed COVID-19's threat to Americans compared to Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who recognized it as an imminent challenge affecting everyone.

Ichiro Kawachi of Harvard T.H. Chan School praised the study for advancing understanding of public health responses influenced by culture. Sara Cody from Santa Clara County’s Public Health Department emphasized incorporating social science insights into public health planning.

For further inquiries about this research or related topics, contact Marijane Leonard at marijane.leonard@stanford.edu.