What drives social in-group biases in face recognition memory? ERP evidence from the own-gender bias

Wolff, N.; Kemter, K.; Schweinberger, S.R.; Wiese, H.

Abstract

It is well established that memory is more accurate for own-relative to other-race faces (own-race bias), which has been suggested to result from larger perceptual expertise for own-race faces. Previous studies also demonstrated better memory for own-relative to other-gender faces, which is less likely to result from differences in perceptual expertise, and rather may be related to social in-group vs out-group categorization. We examined neural correlates of the own-gender bias using event-related potentials (ERP). In a recognition memory experiment, both female and male participants remembered faces of their respective own gender more accurately compared with other-gender faces. ERPs during learning yielded significant differences between the subsequent memory effects (subsequently remembered – subsequently forgotten) for own-gender compared with other-gender faces in the occipito-temporal P2 and the central N200, whereas neither later subsequent memory effects nor ERP old/new effects at test reflected a neural correlate of the own-gender bias. We conclude that the own-gender bias is mainly related to study phase processes, which is in line with sociocognitive accounts.

Citation

Wolff, N., Kemter, K., Schweinberger, S., & Wiese, H. (2014). What drives social in-group biases in face recognition memory? ERP evidence from the own-gender bias. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 9(5), 580-590. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nst024

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 21, 2013
• Online Publication Date: Mar 22, 2013
• Publication Date: May 1, 2014
• Deposit Date: Oct 7, 2014
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 10, 2017
• Journal: Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience
• Print ISSN: 1749-5016
• Electronic ISSN: 1749-5024
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 9
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 580-590
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nst024
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1419824