Degraded perceptual and affective processing of racial out-groups: An electrophysiological approach. (4th July 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sheng, Feng; Du, Na; Han, Shihui
• Is Part Of: Social neuroscience. Volume 12:Number 4(2017)
• Page Start: 479
• Page End: 487
• Publication Date: 2017-07-04
• Subjects: Racial in-group bias -- individuation -- empathy -- event-related potential; Neurosciences -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Neuropsychology -- Periodicals; Social psychology -- Periodicals; Social interaction -- Periodicals; 612.8
• DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2016.1182944
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1747-0919

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Human beings process perceptual and affective information of racial out-groups in a degraded manner. Relative to racial in-group members, we lack perceptual individuation of racial out-group members and empathize their pain to a less degree. To date, however, the relationship between the deficiency of individuation and the impairment of empathy in responding to racial out-groups remains elusive. By recording event-related brain potentials in response to racial in-group and out-group faces portraying pain and neutral expressions, we simultaneously measured neural activity that underpinned individuation and empathy. Deficiency in individuating members of racial out-groups, manifesting as reduced reactivity of face-sensitive N170 in the occipitotemporal region of the brain, predicted attenuation of fronto-central empathic response to the suffering of racial out-groups. Further, the individuation bias mediated the influence of racial prejudice on racial in-group bias in empathic neural responses. These findings suggest an interplay between degraded perceptual and affective processing of racial out-groups.