Abstract
Faces are complex visual stimuli, varying on innumerable perceptual dimensions (e.g., face contour, skin tone, or bone structure). Despite the virtually infinite number of combinations of these perceptual cues, we tend to group faces based on social categories, such as race and gender. The formation of face categories represents an adaptation of perceptual systems to the environment, therefore facilitating face processing (Tanaka, 2001). Here, we investigated how the categories of race and gender modulate perceived proximity. We specifically used the Fat Face Illusion (FFI) to gauge face proximity: when two identical faces are vertically displayed, the bottom face is perceived closer, as it appears larger than the top face (FFI, Sun et al., 2012). If face categories modulate perceived proximity, we predict different FFIs between the categories. We used faces from social categories that varied in Race (Caucasian and Asian) and Gender (Female and Male). Participants saw two identical faces vertically aligned and were asked to indicate which face they found larger. To examine the generality of this effect, we tested adult participants in France (N=30), China (N=30), and Canada (N=31). The French participants were familiar with Caucasian faces, and vice versa for the Chinese participants. The Canadian participants had comparable exposure to Caucasian and Asian faces. All participants biasedly judged the bottom face as larger (83.27%, p < .001). Importantly, Race and Gender significantly modulated this perceptual illusion (p < .001): FFI was weaker for the Asian Female faces than for the other face categories, regardless of participants’ previous experience with the face categories. Altogether, these cross-cultural findings indicate that social category modulates the size of the FFI. This differential effect possibly reveals universal stereotypes associated with face categories. For example, Asian females may be perceived as less threatening and more agreeable than individuals from other social categories.