Abstract
Other-race effects (ORE) are likely due to both perceptual experience and higher-level social cognitive processes, though motivation continues to take precedence in many models. For example, Young & Hugenberg’s Categorization-individuation Model suggests that perceptual experience matters only if viewers are motivated to individuate faces. Otherwise, viewers categorize other-race faces. However, motivation is often operationally defined as instructions to individuate other-race faces, and support for the effectiveness of motivational instructions is mixed. One possible explanation for conflicting results is stimulus characteristics, such as the presence of non-facial features (hair) that could aid non-expert recognition. Moreover, it is crucial to consider whether instructions improve other-race recognition, or simply reduce same-race recognition. The present study tests the impact of motivation and stimuli characteristics on ORE in memory. We used a mixed factorial design with Stimulus Race (Black White) as the within-subjects factor, Motivation (Instructed, Control) and Stimulus Hair (Hair, No-Hair) as between-subjects factors, and sensitivity as the dependent measure. White subjects (N = 146) studied ten neutral faces from each race (randomized), completed a filler task, and then completed a 2AFC memory task with 20 smiling faces from each race. This procedure was repeated twice with different faces. Results replicated a reduction in ORE for motivated subjects (p = .003), however motivation decreased same-race recognition (p = .040), and had no effect on other-race recognition (p = .312). The effect of hair did not interact with motivation. Nonetheless, stimulus hair reduced the ORE (p = .003), having a greater impact on same- than other-race faces. We conclude that motivation, as defined by instruction, is not sufficient to improve other-race recognition, regardless of the presence or absence of hair. While motivation instructions may help to improve attentional mechanisms, it seems unlikely that it can overcome other perceptual inadequacies due to lack of experience.