Investigator: Thomas Malloy, Rhode Island College

Scientific Theme: Neuroscience

Abstract: A basic finding in social psychology is that people make social judgments of others very rapidly; within three seconds of exposure to an individual. One basis for these judgments is the degree to which one’s physical features deviate from the average features for a racial or ethnic category. Theory proposes that Whites use skin tone, nose breadth and lip fullness (i.e. Afrocentric features) as a basis for judgments of a broad array of characteristics of Blacks. Research in the Intergroup Relations Laboratory at Rhode Island College uses eye-tracking technology to precisely measure eye movements when viewing an array of faces. When searching for the perpetrator of a crime, Whites allocated greater visual attention to Black faces with average and darker skin tones than to faces with light tones. When searching for the victim of a crime, Whites allocated greater attention to Black faces with light skin tone and less attention to those with darker tone skin. The proposed experiment extends this past work. First, three racial groups are included as targets of judgments; they are Whites, Blacks and Asians. In contrast to past work, we focus on positive rather than negative stereotypes of these groups. Target faces from each group are created using software to have facial features that are more (i.e. augmented) or less (i.e., attenuated) pronounced than the average features for that racial group. Faces will be presented for a very brief exposure of 3 seconds and visual attention to facial features will be measured using eye-tracking technology. We expect that visual attention will be directed to augmented category defining features and should result in discriminatory responses to those faces. For faces with attenuated features, we expect that visual attention will be directed to those category features, but will not result in discriminatory responses. Most broadly, this research is based on the theoretical assumption that stereotypes in the mind of a perceiver, direct visual attention to category defining facial features, and when those features are augmented (relative to the average), discriminatory responses follow. When those features are attenuated, they will attract visual attention but will not be followed by discriminatory responses.

Human Health Relevance: Visual attention bias occurs outside of awareness, and may lead to unwitting discriminatory behavior by a health care provider. This could affect patient satisfaction, willingness to seek treatment and compliance with treatment in the patient-practitioner dyad. This research will reveal the facial features that capture visual attention and produce discrimination so that interventions to reduce bias can be developed.