Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The other-race effect for face perception: an event-related potential study

  • Published:
Journal of Neural Transmission Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

It is well known that a recognition bias can be observed whenever subjects have to decide whether they have seen a person before that belongs to a different ethical group. Although this “other-race effect” is well documented on a behavioural level, its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. One plausible explanation might be that cortical areas involved in face processing are not as effective for other-race faces due to a missing experience with individuals from other ethnical groups. This interpretation is strongly supported by a functional magnetic resonance imaging study showing decreased brain activity on other-race faces. Furthermore, two event-related potential studies revealed differences in brain activity in the first 250 ms after face presentation, but with inconsistent results. Therefore, we investigated 12 Caucasian subjects, showing them faces of Asian and Caucasian subjects in a perceptual priming paradigm and measured the event-related brain potentials. On a behavioural level we found slower reaction times to Asian faces compared to Caucasian faces in the unprimed condition, reflecting a deficit for Caucasian subjects to process other-race faces. In accordance with these behavioural data we see a significantly reduced late N250r amplitude in the unprimed condition to the Asian faces compared to the Caucasian faces. These results clearly indicate that the other-race effect was present in our sample and very specific only in the unprimed condition around 350–450 ms after stimulus onset.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • V Ashley P Vuilleumier D Swick (2004) ArticleTitleTime course and specificity of event-related potentials to emotional expressions Neuroreport 15 IssueID1 211–216 Occurrence Handle15106860 Occurrence Handle10.1097/00001756-200401190-00041

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • M Balconi C Lucchiari (2005) ArticleTitleEvent-related potentials related to normal and morphed emotional faces J Psychol 139 IssueID2 176–192 Occurrence Handle15844763

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • M Batty MJ Taylor (2003) ArticleTitleEarly processing of the six basic facial emotional expressions Brain Res Cogn Brain Res 17 IssueID3 613–620 Occurrence Handle14561449 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0926-6410(03)00174-5

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • S Bentin T Allison A Puce E Perez G McCarthy (1996) ArticleTitleElectrophysiological studies of face perception in humans J Cogn Neurosci 8 IssueID6 551–565 Occurrence Handle10.1162/jocn.1996.8.6.551

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • K Bötzel S Schulze SR Stodieck (1995) ArticleTitleScalp topography and analysis of intracranial sources of face-evoked potentials Exp Brain Res 104 IssueID1 135–143 Occurrence Handle7621932 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00229863

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • R Caldara B Rossion P Bovet CA Hauert (2004) ArticleTitleEvent-related potentials and time course of the “other-race” face classification advantage Neuroreport 15 IssueID5 905–910 Occurrence Handle15073540 Occurrence Handle10.1097/00001756-200404090-00034

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • R Caldara G Thut P Servoir CM Michel P Bovet B Renault (2003) ArticleTitleFace versus non-face object perception and the ‘other-race’ effect: a spatio-temporal event-related potential study Clin Neurophysiol 114 IssueID3 515–528 Occurrence Handle12705432 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S1388-2457(02)00407-8 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3s7os1aruw%3D%3D

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • LL Chao JV Haxby A Martin (1999) ArticleTitleAttribute-based neural substrates in temporal cortex for perceiving and knowing about objects Nat Neurosci 2 IssueID10 913–919 Occurrence Handle10491613 Occurrence Handle10.1038/13217 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK1MXmsVyjsrs%3D

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • VP Clark K Keil JM Maisog S Courtney LG Ungerleider JV Haxby (1996) ArticleTitleFunctional magnetic resonance imaging of human visual cortex during face matching: a comparison with positron emission tomography NeuroImage 4 IssueID1 1–15 Occurrence Handle9345493 Occurrence Handle10.1006/nimg.1996.0025 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaK1c%2FgsFemsQ%3D%3D

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • M Eimer RA McCarthy (1999) ArticleTitleProsopagnosia and structural encoding of faces: evidence from event-related potentials Neuroreport 10 IssueID2 255–259 Occurrence Handle10203318 Occurrence Handle10.1097/00001756-199902050-00010 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaK1M3hsl2rsw%3D%3D

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • MS Gazzaniga RB Ivry GR Mangun (2002) Cognitive neuroscience EditionNumber2 SeriesTitleThe biology of the mind Norton and Company New York

    Google Scholar 

  • AJ Golby JDE Gabrieli JY Chiao JL Eberhardt (2001) ArticleTitleDifferential responses in the fusiform region to same-race and other-race faces Nat Neurosci 4 IssueID8 845–850 Occurrence Handle11477432 Occurrence Handle10.1038/90565 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3MXlslSjsbs%3D

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • E Halgren AM Dale MI Sereno RB Tootell K Marinkovic BR Rosen (1999) ArticleTitleLocation of human face-selective cortex with respect to retinotopic areas Hum Brain Mapp 7 IssueID1 29–37 Occurrence Handle9882088 Occurrence Handle10.1002/(SICI)1097-0193(1999)7:1<29::AID-HBM3>3.0.CO;2-R Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaK1M%2Fps1Citw%3D%3D

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • H Halit M de Haan MH Johnson (2000) ArticleTitleModulation of event-related potentials by prototypical and atypical faces Neuroreport 11 IssueID9 1871–1875 Occurrence Handle10884035 Occurrence Handle10.1097/00001756-200006260-00014 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3M%2FlvVWisA%3D%3D

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • JV Haxby LG Ungerleider B Horwitz JM Maisog SI Rapoport CL Grady (1996) ArticleTitleFace encoding and recognition in the human brain Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 93 IssueID2 922–927 Occurrence Handle8570661 Occurrence Handle10.1073/pnas.93.2.922 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK28XnslyjtA%3D%3D

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • MJ Herrmann A-C Ehlis H Ellgring AJ Fallgatter (2005a) ArticleTitleEarly stages (P100) of face perception in humans as measured with ERPs J Neural Transm 112 1073–1081 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s00702-004-0250-8 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD2Mzltlakuw%3D%3D

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • MJ Herrmann A-C Ehlis AJ Muehlberger AJ Fallgatter (2005b) ArticleTitleSource localisation of early stages of face processing Brain Topogr 18 IssueID2 77–85 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s10548-005-0277-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SA Hillyard L Anllo Vento (1998) ArticleTitleEvent-related brain potentials in the study of visual selective attention Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 95 IssueID3 781–787 Occurrence Handle9448241 Occurrence Handle10.1073/pnas.95.3.781 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK1cXosFShsQ%3D%3D

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • EA Hoffman JV Haxby (2000) ArticleTitleDistinct representations of eye gaze and identity in the distributed human neural system for face perception Nat Neurosci 3 IssueID1 80–84 Occurrence Handle10607399 Occurrence Handle10.1038/71152 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3cXht1ymtrs%3D

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • SG Horovitz B Rossion P Skudlarski JC Gore (2004) ArticleTitleParametric design and correlational analyses help integrating fMRI and electrophysiological data during face processing NeuroImage 22 IssueID4 1587–1595 Occurrence Handle15275915 Occurrence Handle10.1016/j.neuroimage.2004.04.018

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • D Hubl S Bolte S Feineis Matthews H Lanfermann A Federspiel W Strik F Poustka T Dierks (2003) ArticleTitleFunctional imbalance of visual pathways indicates alternative face processing strategies in autism Neurology 61 IssueID9 1232–1237 Occurrence Handle14610126 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3srjt1GltQ%3D%3D

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • A Ishai LG Ungerleider A Martin JL Schouten JV Haxby (1999) ArticleTitleDistributed representation of objects in the human ventral visual pathway Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 96 IssueID16 9379–9384 Occurrence Handle10430951 Occurrence Handle10.1073/pnas.96.16.9379 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK1MXltVCjs70%3D

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • RJ Itier MJ Taylor (2002) ArticleTitleInversion and contrast polarity reversal affect both encoding and recognition processes of unfamiliar faces: a repetition study using ERPs NeuroImage 15 IssueID2 353–372 Occurrence Handle11798271 Occurrence Handle10.1006/nimg.2001.0982

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • N Kanwisher J McDermott MM Chun (1997) ArticleTitleThe fusiform face area: a module in human extrastriate cortex specialized for face perception J Neurosci 17 IssueID11 4302–4311 Occurrence Handle9151747 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK2sXjtl2mur0%3D

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • C Lehmann T Mueller A Federspiel D Hubl G Schroth O Huber W Strik T Dierks (2004) ArticleTitleDissociation between overt and unconscious face processing in fusiform face area NeuroImage 21 IssueID1 75–83 Occurrence Handle14741644 Occurrence Handle10.1016/j.neuroimage.2003.08.038

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • DT Levin (2000) ArticleTitleRace as a visual feature: using visual search and perceptual discrimination tasks to understand face categories and the cross-race recognition deficit J Exp Psychol (General) 129 IssueID4 559–574 Occurrence Handle10.1037/0096-3445.129.4.559 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3M7gsVCjtQ%3D%3D

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • DT Levin BL Angelone (2002) ArticleTitleCategorical perception of race Perception 31 IssueID5 567–578 Occurrence Handle12044097 Occurrence Handle10.1068/p3315

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • I Levy U Hasson G Avidan T Hendler R Malach (2001) ArticleTitleCenter-periphery organization of human object areas Nat Neurosci 4 IssueID5 533–539 Occurrence Handle11319563 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3MXjt1eqtb8%3D

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • K Linkenkaer-Hansen JM Palva M Sams JK Hietanen HJ Aronen RJ Ilmoniemi (1998) ArticleTitleFace-selective processing in human extrastriate cortex around 120 ms after stimulus onset revealed by magneto- and electroencephalography Neurosci Lett 253 IssueID3 147–150 Occurrence Handle9792232 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0304-3940(98)00586-2 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK1cXmvVaqs74%3D

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • OH MacLin RS Malpass (2001) ArticleTitleRacial categorization of faces: The ambiguous race face effect Psychol Publ Policy Law 7 IssueID1 98–118 Occurrence Handle10.1037/1076-8971.7.1.98

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • CA Meissner JC Brigham (2001) ArticleTitleThirty years of investigating the own-race bias in memory for faces: a meta-analytic review Psychol Publ Policy Law 7 3–35 Occurrence Handle10.1037/1076-8971.7.1.3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • PJ Phillips H Wechsler J Huang P Rauss (1998) ArticleTitleThe FERET daabase and evaluation procedure for face recognition algorithms Image Vision Comp J 16 IssueID5 295–306 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0262-8856(97)00070-X

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • B Rossion L Dricot A Devolder JM Bodart M Crommelinck B De Gelder R Zoontjes (2000) ArticleTitleHemispheric asymmetries for whole-based and part-based face processing in the human fusiform gyrus J Cogn Neurosci 12 IssueID5 793–802 Occurrence Handle11054921 Occurrence Handle10.1162/089892900562606 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3crgs1Cluw%3D%3D

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • N Sagiv S Bentin (2001) ArticleTitleStructural encoding of human and schematic faces: holistic and part-based processes J Cogn Neurosci 13 IssueID7 937–951 Occurrence Handle11595097 Occurrence Handle10.1162/089892901753165854 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3MrkvV2rtA%3D%3D

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • SR Schweinberger V Huddy A Burton (2004) ArticleTitleN250r: a face-selective brain response to stimulus repetitions Neuroreport 15 IssueID9 1501–1505 Occurrence Handle15194883 Occurrence Handle10.1097/01.wnr.0000131675.00319.42

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • AE Slone JC Brigham CA Meissner (2000) ArticleTitleSocial and cognitive factors affecting the own-race bias in Whites Basic Appl Soc Psychol 22 IssueID2 71–84 Occurrence Handle10.1207/15324830051036162

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SL Sporer (2001) ArticleTitleThe cross-race effect: beyond recognition of faces in the laboratory Psychol Publ Policy Law 7 IssueID1 170–200 Occurrence Handle10.1037/1076-8971.7.1.170

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • JW Tanaka M Kiefer CM Bukach (2004) ArticleTitleA holistic account of the own-race effect in face recognition: evidence from a cross-cultural study Cognition 93 IssueID1 B1–B9 Occurrence Handle15110726 Occurrence Handle10.1016/j.cognition.2003.09.011

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • MJ Taylor SC Khan (2000) ArticleTitleTop-down modulation of early selective attention processes in children Int J Psychophysiol 37 IssueID2 135–147 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0167-8760(00)00084-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • PM Walker JW Tanaka (2003) ArticleTitleAn encoding advantage for own-race versus other-race faces Perception 32 IssueID9 1117–1125 Occurrence Handle14651324 Occurrence Handle10.1068/p5098

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany

    M. J. Herrmann, T. Schreppel, D. Jäger, S. Koehler, A.-C. Ehlis & A. J. Fallgatter

Authors
  1. M. J. Herrmann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. T. Schreppel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. D. Jäger
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. S. Koehler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. A.-C. Ehlis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. A. J. Fallgatter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Herrmann, M., Schreppel, T., Jäger, D. et al. The other-race effect for face perception: an event-related potential study. J Neural Transm 114, 951–957 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-007-0624-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-007-0624-9

Search

Navigation