Implicit attitudes and the other race effect

Abstract

The present study sought to test two recent theories (Hugenberg et al., 2010, 2013; Wan et al., 2015) that modelled the Other Race Effect (ORE) and clarify if there was a role for implicit bias (Walker & Hewstone, 2008). The ORE is better recognition for faces of one's own race compared to other races (Meissner & Brigham, 2001). The present study recruited Asian and Caucasian participants and had them complete Implicit Association Tests (to assess implicit bias), face memory tasks (for Asian, Caucasian and Black African faces to assess for the ORE) and several questionnaires (including questions on perceived power and explicit attitudes). Half of the participants received Hugenberg et al.'s (2010) "motivation to individuate" instructions and the other half received control instructions. Contrary to the Hugenberg et al. (2010, 2013) model, there was no evidence for the "motivation to individuate" instructions having an effect on the size of the ORE. Contrary to the findings of Wan et al. (2015), there was no support for power/socioeconomic status moderating the effect of the "motivation to individuate" instructions on the size of the ORE. There was also no support for a relationship between implicit bias and the size of the ORE. Last, there was mixed evidence of experience being related to the direction of the ORE. Overall, there was no support for the current models for the ORE. Attention is drawn to issues with the conceptualisation of motivation and goals in the study of the ORE, and the need to utilise ethnicity in the place of race when studying group biases in perception.

Date of Award	2017
Original language	English