ERP Evidence for Cognitive Modulation of Face-Race Classification

Abstract

This paper explores the cognitive factors that can adjust the other-race classification advantage (ORCA). 26 Han people and Uygur ethic people were selected to complete the event-related potential (ERP) experiment on different ethnic race classifications. In the experiment, the participants were required to classify a group of randomly selected target race faces to introduce cognitive factors into the task. Over the experiment, it is found that faces of non-target races can be classified faster. When the target race is inconsistent with the race of the participant, larger amplitude of P1 component can be observed. The components of N170 and thereafter are not regulated by cognitive needs, no matter which race of face is observed by the participant. The experimental result confirms the competition hypothesis of recognition/classification, predicting that the "race classification advantage" is driven by the different allocations of the processed resources rather than being decisive by the actual facial attributes.