All y'all look alike, but why?

[Aimless]

People often have a hard time seeing differences between individual members that belong to a group other than their own. This makes it difficult to reliably identify black perpetrators with the help of eye-witnesses. It makes it difficult in general to give members of a different group a fair assessment. Or, conversely, it makes it easy to make unfair assessments. We might end up inappropriately accusing Dread of supporting rape and opposing abortions, a dreadful combination indeed.

Let's be honest. Almost every single one of us does this. But why? What're the psychological and cognitive processes underlying this behaviour? What's this phenomenon called? What do we know about it and how can we deal with it? What've we learned from hundreds of years of butting heads against various opponents?

[wiggin]

It's called an 'other-race' or 'cross-race' effect in facial recognition. It makes sense from an evolutionary perspective (to spend more resources on recognition and other functions of people genetically related to you). It's an interesting and complex subject (as is all of facial recognition; to be honest it's a much tougher task than we give our brain credit for) but there's not much you can do about it.

[Timbuk2]

... but there's not much you can do about it.

I woulda thunk just being aware of the fact is helpful.

[wiggin]

I woulda thunk just being aware of the fact is helpful.

To an extent, and obviously training or habituation changes things, but the basic wiring of our brain is hard to change. There are ways to compensate for the problem, but not ways to actually fix it.

[Loki]

It's called an 'other-race' or 'cross-race' effect in facial recognition. It makes sense from an evolutionary perspective (to spend more resources on recognition and other functions of people genetically related to you). It's an interesting and complex subject (as is all of facial recognition; to be honest it's a much tougher task than we give our brain credit for) but there's not much you can do about it.

I wish people would stop using evolution to explain anything and everything. I doubt it has anything to do with genes. We're good at recognizing people we grew up with. A white person who grows up around Asians is going to be able to tell Asians apart. It has little to do with him being white.

[Nessus]

Is there data either way?

[Loki]

Google inter-racial recognition. There are quite a few.

[Nessus]

Do I have to?

[Loki]

I'm not a psychologist. I don't know which studies are better than others.

[wiggin]

I wish people would stop using evolution to explain anything and everything. I doubt it has anything to do with genes. We're good at recognizing people we grew up with. A white person who grows up around Asians is going to be able to tell Asians apart. It has little to do with him being white.

I agree, but wouldn't the evolutionary response be that people until recently only grew up with a genetically similar group of people, and that early training was very important for facial recognition? *shrugs* I think the basic idea is that there has to be some reason why we are better at facial recognition and interpretation in groups we're familiar with compared to those we are not, and it seems likely it has some sort of selective advantage. The details are murkier, though, and obviously largely speculation.

[GGT]

I'm not a psychologist. I don't know which studies are better than others.

So you admit behavioral psychologists may have a leg up on behavioral economists?

[Loki]

So you admit behavioral psychologists may have a leg up on behavioral economists?

Yes, psychologists are indeed better at psychology than economists. Biologists are also better at biology than economists. Shocking, I know.

I agree, but wouldn't the evolutionary response be that people until recently only grew up with a genetically similar group of people, and that early training was very important for facial recognition? *shrugs* I think the basic idea is that there has to be some reason why we are better at facial recognition and interpretation in groups we're familiar with compared to those we are not, and it seems likely it has some sort of selective advantage. The details are murkier, though, and obviously largely speculation.

I still don't see why any evolutionary component needs to be included here. People are able to recognize people that they grew up with. It just so happens that people tend to grow up with people who look like them. I don't see why everything needs a purpose. I really don't think we should be applying the same theories to humans, who act for a variety of reasons, that we do to other animals, who mostly act out of instinct.

[wiggin]

*shrugs* I don't feel too strongly about this one, but I'm betting the reason why early 'imprinted' faces are easier to decode has some biological source in the brain. It might be a side effect of some other selective pressure, but it's almost certainly something to do with evolution.

[Loki]

*shrugs* I don't feel too strongly about this one, but I'm betting the reason why early 'imprinted' faces are easier to decode has some biological source in the brain. It might be a side effect of some other selective pressure, but it's almost certainly something to do with evolution.

The only way I see evolution having an effect is by making members of one species being able to recognize other members of that species. How would selection for this trait even take place? Are people who are equally able to recognize members of their own and other groups going to be selected out?

[wiggin]

The only way I see evolution having an effect is by making members of one species being able to recognize other members of that species. How would selection for this trait even take place? Are people who are equally able to recognize members of their own and other groups going to be selected out?

That's not how it works, Loki. There probably was rudimentary facial recognition skills for everything, but specialized recognition only evolved for same-species (or subspecies) later as an evolutionary improvement for communication or whatever.

[agamemnus]

It makes perfect sense really.

I agree with Loki -- I'm not sure it's an inherited trait.

Suppose you're living in a European village or town in the 1800s, and there are a few black guys... maybe a traveling circus. There's one tall black guy... you think of him as "that tall black guy". For the rest of the population you have to take more detail into effect, because there are, say, 500 people who aren't black. There's no point in expending resources on more facial recognition than necessary for your brain.

[Lebanese Dragon]

Let's be honest. Almost every single one of us does this. But why? What're the psychological and cognitive processes underlying this behaviour? What's this phenomenon called? What do we know about it and how can we deal with it? What've we learned from hundreds of years of butting heads against various opponents?

I've longed held the theory that the reason it is hard for an outsider to notice differences is because we are caught up on a concious and subconcious level the major differences between ourselves and them. That we overlook the subtler details that are present until we are sufficiently immersed in that group. The same thing with foreing language, and sounds in general.

I bet lions of similar roars actualyl sound very differently to eacother.