Culture or education? Neuropsychological test performance of a Maya indigenous population

Although culture and education are factors that significantly affect cognitive performance, it is often difficult to distinguish between the effects of education and the effects of culture, since the educational level influences the sociocultural status of an individual. Therefore, although it is common to attribute the differences between the performance in neuropsychological tests to both the level of education and the culture, frequently the effects of the two variables are confounded. In the present study we analysed the influence of education and of culture on the neuropsychological profile of indigenous and a nonindigenous population. We studied a total sample of 44 individuals divided into 4 groups: (1) 7 illiterate indigenous subjects; (2) 7 control subjects with no education; (3) 15 indigenous subjects with 1–4 years of education; and (4) 15 control individuals with 1–4 years of education. Subjects were paired by age and educational level. The indigenous population was Maya, who live in the state of Yucatan in the Mexican Republic. The NEUROPSI, a brief neuropsychological test battery developed and standardized in Mexico ( Ostrosky‐Solís, Ardila, & Rosselli, 1997, 1999), was individually administered. Results showed differential effects for both variables. Indigenous subjects showed higher scores in visuospatial tasks, and their level of education had significant effects on working and verbal memory. No significant differences were found in other cognitive processes (orientation, comprehension, and some executive functions). Our data showed that culture dictates what it is important for survival and that education could be considered as a type of subculture that facilitates the development of certain skills instead of others. However, the influences of both variables on cognitive skills are different, which should be considered when assessing subjects of different cultures. The interpretation of neuropsychological tests, leading to accurate assessment of cognitive dysfunction, is dependent on both education and cultural skills.