The Own-Age Bias In Face Recognition

Human beings are more accurate at remembering faces from their own relative to a different age group(the own-age bias,or OAB).An experience-based account has suggested that more extensive experience or contact with own-age faces caused this bias.There are also a socio-cognitive accounts,which suggested individuals are have differential motivation to own-age faces.Recently,some thought differential allocation of attention to own versus other age faces underlies this phenomenon.So the aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between attention and own-age bias,and to clarify whether attention affects own-age bias.Study 1 mainly focused the role of attention in own-age bias.In Experiment 1a and 1b,we compared the learning of own and other-age faces during focused versus divided attention,The results showed(1)OAB in subsequent memory for focused attention condition but not divided attention.(2)Participants' recognition of own-age faces has more declined in divided attention condition.Why own-age bias disappeared under a divided attention condition.Previous studies suggested participants tend to adopt holistic processing for own-age faces,So is it possible that the divided attention has interfered the holistic processing,and thus own-age faces cannot be processed holistically? Study 2 tested whether attention is related to holistic processing of faces.In Experiment 2,we compared the composite face effect(CFE,a marker of holistic face processing)of own and other-age faces during focused versus divided attention.The results showed(1)CFE was stronger for own-age face under a focused attention condition but not divided attention.(2)Failed to observed CFE in other-age faces for both attention conditions.To further understood the relationship between attention and own-age bias.We additionally analyzed event related brain potentials(ERPs).Results showed that(1)For the own age faces,the latency in P100 is shorter.(2)a misalignment effects in the N170,which were more pronounced for own-age faces in a focused attention condition.(3)Critically,in the subsequentN250 r a stronger misalignment effect for own age faces detected in adult participants only.To summary,we found(1)The attention affects the own-age bias of face recognition.(2)The attention has much more effect on the recognition of own-age faces.(3)The own-age bias of face recognition could be influenced by attention which changes the holistic processing of faces.