University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Cross-race effect in relational memory: An eye-tracking investigation

Ding, Huiyu

Content Files
DING-THESIS-2022.pdf

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/116019

Description

Title
Cross-race effect in relational memory: An eye-tracking investigation
Author(s)
Ding, Huiyu
Issue Date
2022-04-25
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Sahakyan, Lili
Committee Member(s)
Feidermeier, Kara
Department of Study
Psychology
Discipline
Psychology
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
M.S.
Degree Level
Thesis
Keyword(s)
  • Cross-race effect
  • memory
  • relational memory
  • associative memory
Abstract
The cross-race effect (CRE) is a well-known finding wherein own-race faces are better recognized than other-race faces. By adopting an established relational memory paradigm, I explored the CRE in relational memory and compared it to the more typical CRE in single item memory. In addition to examining behavioral accuracy, eye tracking was implemented to explore the expressions of CRE in eye movements. Participants studied Asian and Caucasian faces superimposed on the background scenes, which were either trial-unique (in Relational task) or held invariant across the presented faces (in Item task). The eye movements were monitored at test. I observed a robust CRE in item task and an absent CRE in relational memory. Eye tracking analysis also reflected the expression of CRE in eye movements in the Item task, but not in the Relational task. Additional eye-movement analyses from the encoding phase of the experiment were conducted to explore the mechanisms behind the reduced CRE in relational memory. I investigated amount of fixation duration and proportion of fixations made to the eyes/mouth regions of own-race and other-race faces, as well as the viewing patterns to background scenes that were associated with own-race and other-race faces.
Graduation Semester
2022-08
Type of Resource
Thesis
Handle URL
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/116019
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2022 Huiyu Ding

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