The research report describes a study measuring the effects of two teaching approaches on 7th and 8th grade students' perception and achievement during a twelve day social studies unit on modern Japan. Two approaches were studied: Method A, which strives to bring about personal identification of students with American culture; and Method B, which strives to develop student understanding of culture as a common process manifested in different cultures. Five areas were investigated in relation to the two methods: (1) the differences in perception outcomes, (2) the differences in achievement of recall and translation cognitions (Type 1); (3) the differences in interpretation, application, analysis, and synthesis cognitions (Type 2); (4) the differences in total cognition (Type 1 and Type 2); and (5) the level of social studies achievement in relation to perception and cognitive outcomes. Teaching methods were measured by student evaluation, perception by attitude surveys, cognition by multiple choice tests, and student ability by the Stanford Achievement Test for Social Studies. Implications included that both methods fostered appropriate outcomes. Method B was more effective in fostering perception of similarity between two cultures; Method A was more effective in fostering all three types of cognition, especially with less able and more able students; and Method B was more effective in fostering cognitions with average students. Validity was limited by the topic, number of teachers, type of lessons, level of students, learning conditions, and brevity of the teaching unit. Further research under different conditions is recommended. Appendices present case studies, tests, and a bibliography. (CK)