Document Detail


The role of face shape and pigmentation in other-race face perception: an electrophysiological study.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  19836406     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Adult observers generally find it difficult to recognize and distinguish faces that belong to categories with which they have limited visual experience. One aspect of this phenomenon is commonly known as the "Other-Race Effect" (ORE) since this behavior is typically highly evident in the perception of faces belonging to ethnic or racial groups other than that of the observer. This acquired disadvantage in face recognition likely results from highly specific "tuning" of the underlying representation of facial appearance, leading to efficient processing of commonly seen faces at the expense of poor generalization to other face categories. In the current study we used electrophysiological (event-related potentials or ERPs) and behavioral measures of performance to characterize face processing in racial categories defined by dissociable shape and pigmentation information. Our goal was to examine the specificity of the representation of facial appearance in more detail by investigating how race-specific face shape and pigmentation separately modulated neural responses previously implicated in face processing, the N170 and N250 components. We found that both components were modulated by skin color, independent of face shape, but that only the N250 exhibited sensitivity to face shape. Moreover, the N250 appears to only respond differentially to the skin color of upright faces, showing a lack of color sensitivity for inverted faces.
Authors:
Benjamin Balas; Charles A Nelson
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural     Date:  2009-10-15
Journal Detail:
Title:  Neuropsychologia     Volume:  48     ISSN:  1873-3514     ISO Abbreviation:  Neuropsychologia     Publication Date:  2010 Jan 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-01-29     Completed Date:  2010-04-06     Revised Date:  2011-07-19    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0020713     Medline TA:  Neuropsychologia     Country:  England    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  498-506     Citation Subset:  IM    
Copyright Information:
2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Affiliation:
Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Benjamin.Balas@childrens.harvard.edu
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adult
Analysis of Variance
Brain Mapping
Contrast Sensitivity / physiology*
Electroencephalography
Evoked Potentials, Visual / physiology*
Face*
Female
Humans
Male
Pattern Recognition, Visual / physiology*
Photic Stimulation / methods
Reaction Time / physiology
Recognition (Psychology) / physiology*
Young Adult
Grant Support
ID/Acronym/Agency:
R01 MH078829-10A1/MH/NIMH NIH HHS; R01 MH078829-13/MH/NIMH NIH HHS
Comments/Corrections

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