Own Group Recognition Bias (OGRB) is a robust phenomenon defined by being better able to recognize individuals from one's own ethnic group compared to other groups. A number of researchers agree that this bias is a function of perceptual and social contact. The aim of this thesis was to investigate the role of contact in the OGRB, particularly in its social dimension, and to understand more broadly how a set of social and cognitive components can act on face recognition. This work was based on two main approaches. The first was to assess the effects of social and cognitive components on the ability of European observers to recognize European and North-African faces. Specifically, I investigated contact patterns, prejudice, interaction anxiety and visual strategies in the context of the OGRB. To this end, I first created and tested scales to measure aspects of social contact, and prejudice towards North-African individuals. The social contact investigation was of three major sub-components of contact, including contact avoidance. The prejudice scale contained two attitudinal components, with items assessing ethnic prejudice and affective states. Then, I set up an experimental protocol using an eye-tracker and physiological measures to assess the impact of different components such as contact, intergroup anxiety, visual strategies and prejudice on face recognition. The main objective of this first part of the thesis was to determine the multiple interdependent effects between cognitive and social elements on intergroup face recognition abilities. The results of the experimental protocol confirmed the existence of an OGRB in European participants towards North-African individuals; however, the impact of social variables on face recognition was not conclusive. The study of visual strategies, however, showed clearer results. In a second part of my thesis, I addressed the notion of within-group variability and how this component can be integrated with the different elements mentioned above. First, I conducted a systematic review of the notion of 'phenotypicality bias', which is defined as the activation of prejudice based on perceived typicality of an ethnicity. This review highlighted an underdeveloped body of work that challenges the conception of the ethnic group as a homogeneous entity. In a second phase, I tested a set of protocols on the representation and perception of within-group variability for stimuli from African, European and North-African groups. This work allowed me to highlight elements perceived as typical of a given group and to create and validate standardised photographic material with different levels of perceived ethnic typicality. Finally, I manipulated this ethnic typicality in a final experimental face recognition protocol in order to assess its impact on the OGRB. The results of this last study also confirm an OGRB for African and North-African stimuli in a European population. The impact of within-group variability on recognition was relatively clear, especially for ethnic other-group faces.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uct/oai:localhost:11427/38463 |
| Date | 08 September 2023 |
| Creators | Brunet, Malvina |
| Contributors | Tredoux, Colin |
| Publisher | Faculty of Humanities, Department of Psychology |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Doctoral Thesis, Doctoral, PhD |
| Format | application/pdf |
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