The other-race effect of face processing: Upper and lower parts play different roles

Abstract

We investigated whether individuals would show differential sensitivity to configural and featural changes in different regions of own- and other-race faces. Using the Face Dimensions Test, we systematically varied the size of key facial features (eyes and mouth) of own-race Chinese faces and other-race Caucasian faces, and the configuration (spacing) between eyes and between eyes and mouth of the two types of faces. The feature size and spacing between features were manipulated on three levels: small, medium, and large. On each trial, when a pair of faces (both Caucasian or both Chinese) was presented side by side, participants were asked to discriminate between them. Results revealed that the ORE is more pronounced when featural and spacing change was in the upper region than in the lower region of the face. Participants performed significantly better for own-race face pairs than other-race face pairs when size and spacing change were in upper region of the faces (i.e., eye size and the distance between two eyes), but not when size and spacing change were in lower region of the faces (i.e., mouth size and the distance between nose and mouth). These findings reveal that information from different regions of the face contributes differentially to the robust difference in recognition between own- and other-race faces.

Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2014