AbstractsPsychology

Dissociating Self-Similarity and Self-Relevance in the Own-Group Bias

by Jason C Deska




Institution: Miami University
Department: Psychology
Degree: MA
Year: 2015
Keywords: Psychology; categorization; face memory; own-group bias; similarity; relevance
Record ID: 2061660
Full text PDF: http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1428687828


Abstract

Past research on the own-group bias (OGB) in face memory has reliably demonstrated that ingroup members are better recognized than outgroup members. However, past research has not demonstrated whether this outgroup disadvantage stems from outgroups being less similar to the self or less relevant to the self. In the current study, self-relevance and self-similarity were competitively tested to demonstrate their unique contributions to face memory. Own-race and cross-race faces were made to seem self-similar or self-dissimilar and self-relevant or self-irrelevant. Contrary to predictions, results indicated that the OGB was present when faces were self-relevant but not self-irrelevant. Target self-similarity had no influence on face recognition, nor was there an interaction between self-similarity and self-relevance. Possible explanations for these unexpected findings are discussed.