The effect of stereotypical primes on the neural processing of racially ambiguous faces

Abstract

Previous research has demonstrated that an early attentional component of the event-related potential (ERP), the P2, is sensitive to the distinction between the processing of racial outgroup and ingroup faces but may not be sensitive to the distinction between racially ambiguous and ingroup faces. Recent behavioral work, however, has suggested that contextual information may affect the processing of racially ambiguous faces. Thus, the first goal of this study was to examine whether the early neural processing of racially ambiguous faces would be affected by primed stereotypes. White college student participants (n = 29) completed a task in which they racially categorized monoracial Black and White faces and racially ambiguous Black–White morphs. These faces were preceded by positive and negative Black and White stereotypical primes. Results indicated that P2 amplitude to the racially ambiguous faces was moderated by the valence of the primes such that negative primes led to greater neural processing of the racially ambiguous faces than positive primes. Furthermore, the extent to which P2 amplitude was affected by prime valence was moderated by individual differences in preference for structure and categorical thinking, as well as comfort with ambiguity.

Keywords:

• Racial ambiguity
• Racial categorization
• Contextual effects
• ERPs

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a William & Mary Faculty Summer Research Grant awarded to C. L. Dickter and a William & Mary Arts and Sciences Graduate Student Research Grant awarded to J. A. Kittel.

Notes

¹A bias score was also calculated by subtracting P2 amplitude when responding to a racially ambiguous target preceded by a Black prime from the amplitude when responding to a racially ambiguous target preceded by a White prime. Higher scores on this measure demonstrated a greater effect of prime race on P2 processing. Correlations were computed between these bias scores and the scores on the self-report measures and no significant correlations were found.