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Event-Related Potentials, Race Categorization, and Implicit Racial Biases in Adults and Children

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Date Issued:
2019
Abstract/Description:
Previous research on face perception has been used to investigate implicit biases and understand how social categorization by race may shape behavior. However, prior studies have yet to compare adults’ and children’s event-related potentials (ERPs) and implicit racial biases. In the present study, we recruited Caucasian 18- to 25-year-old young adults and 5- to 10-year-old children. Participants completed a child friendly implicit association test and then a categorization task of Asian and Caucasian faces while their electroencephalographic waveforms were recorded. We found greater implicit own-race biases were associated with larger bilateral P100 responses to other- than ownrace faces in children and adults, and larger bilateral N250 responses to own- than otherrace faces in adults. We speculate the P100 indicates attentional modulation by race in adults and children and the larger N250 for own-race faces in adults may be related to their greater perceptual expertise for Caucasian faces. These findings suggest that implicit biases are related to early ERP responses when categorizing faces by race.
Title: Event-Related Potentials, Race Categorization, and Implicit Racial Biases in Adults and Children.
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Name(s): Trulson, Haylee F. , author
Earles, Julie, Thesis advisor
Florida Atlantic University, Degree Grantor
Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Thesis
Date Created: 2019
Date Issued: 2019
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Jupiter, Florida
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 53 p.
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: Previous research on face perception has been used to investigate implicit biases and understand how social categorization by race may shape behavior. However, prior studies have yet to compare adults’ and children’s event-related potentials (ERPs) and implicit racial biases. In the present study, we recruited Caucasian 18- to 25-year-old young adults and 5- to 10-year-old children. Participants completed a child friendly implicit association test and then a categorization task of Asian and Caucasian faces while their electroencephalographic waveforms were recorded. We found greater implicit own-race biases were associated with larger bilateral P100 responses to other- than ownrace faces in children and adults, and larger bilateral N250 responses to own- than otherrace faces in adults. We speculate the P100 indicates attentional modulation by race in adults and children and the larger N250 for own-race faces in adults may be related to their greater perceptual expertise for Caucasian faces. These findings suggest that implicit biases are related to early ERP responses when categorizing faces by race.
Identifier: FAUHT00107 (IID)
Degree granted: Thesis (B.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, 2019.
Collection: FAU Honors Theses Digital Collection
Note(s): Includes bibliography.
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Sublocation: Digital Library
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FAUHT00107
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.

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