Published in

Oxford University Press, Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 5(9), p. 580-590, 2013

DOI: 10.1093/scan/nst024

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What drives social in-group biases in face recognition memory? ERP evidence from the own-gender bias

Journal article published in 2013 by Nicole Wolff, Kathleen Kemter, Stefan R. Schweinberger ORCID, Holger Wiese
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Abstract

It is well established that memory is more accurate for own-relative to other-race faces (own-race bias), which has been suggested to result from larger perceptual expertise for own-race faces. Previous studies also demonstrated better memory for own-relative to other-gender faces, which is less likely to result from differences in perceptual expertise, and rather may be related to social in-group vs out-group categorization. We examined neural correlates of the own-gender bias using event-related potentials (ERP). In a recognition memory experiment, both female and male participants remembered faces of their respective own gender more accurately compared with other-gender faces. ERPs during learning yielded significant differences between the subsequent memory effects (subsequently remembered – subsequently forgotten) for own-gender compared with other-gender faces in the occipito-temporal P2 and the central N200, whereas neither later subsequent memory effects nor ERP old/new effects at test reflected a neural correlate of the own-gender bias. We conclude that the own-gender bias is mainly related to study phase processes, which is in line with sociocognitive accounts.