Abstract
Past research indicates that adults generally show own-race recognition biases (Meissner & Brigham, 2001) and different scanning patterns for own- and other-race faces (Fu, Hu, Wang, Quinn, & Lee, 2012). In-group biases have also been shown to influence face recognition (Bernstein, Young, & Hugenberg, 2007). The present study examines how own- and other-race face scanning during a recognition task might be influenced by race contact and implicit racial bias. Caucasian young adults completed a face recognition task with Caucasian and East Asian faces blocked by race (order counterbalanced across participants) while their visual fixations and scanning behaviors were recorded. Prior to the face recognition task, participants completed an implicit association task measuring racial biases, as well as a questionnaire inquiring about contact with Caucasian and East Asian individuals. Preliminary analyses revealed that larger own-race recognition biases were associated with greater contact with own-race than other-race individuals (p = .05). Participants also showed a greater duration of looking at own-race than other-race eyes (p < .05), and greater visual scanning of the nose region and non-essential facial features of other-race compared to own-race faces (p values < .05). A greater number of Caucasian than Asian friends was also associated with greater visual scanning of the left eye of own-race than other-race faces, and with greater visual scanning between the eyes and mouth of other-race than own-race faces (p values < .05). There was a trend towards greater visual scanning between the nose and mouth of own-race than other-race faces with greater implicit own-race biases (p = .08). Thus, preliminary results suggest that own-race recognition biases are largely driven by lack of perceptual expertise with other-race individuals and relatively less influenced by implicit racial biases.