Perceptual Processes in the Cross-Race Effect: Evidence From Eyetracking

Abstract

The cross-race effect (CRE) is the tendency to have better recognition accuracy for same-race than for other-race faces due to differential encoding strategies. Research exploring the nature of encoding differences has yielded few definitive conclusions. The present experiments explored this issue using an eyetracker during a recognition task involving White participants viewing White and African American faces. Participants fixated faster and longer on the upper features of White faces and the lower features of African American faces. When instructing participants to attend to certain features in African American faces, this pattern was exaggerated. Gaze patterns were related to improved recognition accuracy.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Portions of this article were presented at the 2010 meeting of the Law and Society Association in Chicago, Illinois. We are grateful to Chris Meissner for providing the photos used as stimuli and to Shaina Bergt, Lee Ann Kelley, Daniel Reynoso, and Abby Romshek for research assistance.