Holistic processing is finely tuned for faces of one's own race

Michel, C., Rossion, B., Han, J., Chung, C.S. and Caldara, R. (2006) Holistic processing is finely tuned for faces of one's own race. Psychological Science, 17(7), pp. 608-615. (doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2006.01752.x)

Abstract

Recognizing individual faces outside one's race poses difficulty, a phenomenon known as the other-race effect. Most researchers agree that this effect results from differential experience with same-race (SR) and other-race (OR) faces. However, the specific processes that develop with visual experience and underlie the other-race effect remain to be clarified. We tested whether the integration of facial features into a whole representation—holistic processing—was larger for SR than OR faces in Caucasians and Asians without life experience with OR faces. For both classes of participants, recognition of the upper half of a composite-face stimulus was more disrupted by the bottom half (the composite-face effect) for SR than OR faces, demonstrating that SR faces are processed more holistically than OR faces. This differential holistic processing for faces of different races, probably a by-product of visual experience, may be a critical factor in the other-race effect.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Caldara, Professor Roberto
• Authors: Michel, C., Rossion, B., Han, J., Chung, C.S., and Caldara, R.
• Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Psychology
• Journal Name: Psychological Science
• ISSN: 0956-7976
• ISSN (Online): 1467-9280
• Published Online: 07 July 2006