Electrophysiological correlates of unconscious processes of race

Francesca Pesciarelli,Luana Serafini,Irene Leo

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-91133-2

Francesca Pesciarelli, Luana Serafini + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-91133-2

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Abstract

The study aimed to examine the neural mechanisms underlying implicit other-race face processing by the use of the masked and unmasked priming manipulation. Two types of prime-target pairs were presented while recording Event-related potentials (ERPs): Same face pairs (prime-target were identical faces), and Different face pairs (prime-target were different faces). Prime-target pairs were half Asian (other-race) and half Caucasian (own-race) faces. The face stimuli on each pair were of the same gender and race. Participants (all Caucasians) had to decide whether the target was a male or a female face (gender task). The prime face could be unmasked or masked. On the behavioral side, our findings showed a race effect, that is slower reaction times (RTs) for other-race than own-race face stimuli, regardless of masking. On the ERPs side, our data showed a race effect across all components analyzed (P100, N100, N200, P300), under both the unmasked and masked manipulations. Besides, we found, in the unmasked condition, a priming effect as a function of race on the N100, N200, and P300 components; but, interestingly, in the masked condition, only on the P300. Overall, our findings provide evidence that race information is available very early in the brain and can strongly activate and influence people’s behaviors even without conscious awareness.

Highlights

Representations of other-race than own-race faces, in line with an EBH account
Event-related potentials (ERPs) are suitable because they provide a continuous measurement between the target stimulus and the response, allowing to isolate the effect of a single experimental manipulation at a specific processing stage
Several studies showed a P300 amplitude and latency modulation related to race processing, such that the P300 is larger for other-race compared to own-race faces[25,34,35,36,37]

Summary

Introduction

Representations of other-race than own-race faces, in line with an EBH account. In this vein, different priming effects for own-race and other-race faces could fit with the EBH account. Several studies showed a P300 amplitude and latency modulation related to race processing, such that the P300 is larger for other-race compared to own-race faces[25,34,35,36,37] This P300 effect has been taken as reflecting more attention allocated to faces of other-race in comparison of own-race groups[38]. The P300 amplitude has been consistently associated with the task complexity[39], the stimulus relevance[40], and the amount of attention directed to the stimulus, while the P3 latency has been associated with the duration of the evaluation of the stimulus when is required a two-choice RTs (e.g.41) This P300 other-race effect has been related to contextual updates along relevant features. Considering that participants are instructed to attend to gender and not explicitly to race, we can evaluate responses to index the degree to which the information related to race is implicitly processed

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