Abstract
Same-race (SR) faces are identified better than other-race (OR) faces, and this other-race effect (ORE) is correlated with experience. SR faces are also processed more holistically than OR faces, suggesting one possible mechanism for poorer performance on OR faces. Recently, we showed that individuating experience predicts the ORE in holistic processing (Bukach et al., 2012). Although a few studies have shown a functional relationship between holistic processing and identification of SR faces, this has yet to be demonstrated in OR studies. Here, we investigate the functional relationship between OREs in holistic processing and face identification and its relationship to experience in a Caucasian population (N= 26). Subjects completed a 4-alternative sequential matching task and a composite task to measure holistic processing for both Black and Caucasian faces on different days. We also administered Walker & Hewstone’s (2006) survey that assesses quantity and quality of OR experience, and questions to assess quantity and quality of OR contact both prior to University and currently. There was a consistent but nonsignificant pattern of negative correlations between the ORE in face identification and all experience questionnaires, with current quality of experience being the strongest and most reliable predictor (r = -.347, p = 052), and a consistent pattern of negative correlations between holistic processing and experience, with quantity of contact prior to University most predictive (r = -374, p = .035), indicating that experience decreases the other-race effect in both identification and holistic processing. We observed a marginally significant positive correlation between OREs for identification and holistic processing (r = .301, p = .094), suggesting that the two may be functionally related. This interpretation is tentative until confirmed with further data collection.
Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2013