Now Everyone Looks the Same: Alcohol Intoxication Reduces the Own-Race Bias in Face Recognition
Submitted on Thursday, 4 February 2010
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Abstract Several factors influence the reliability of eyewitness identification evidence. Typically, recognition for same-race faces
is better than for different-race faces (the own-race bias), and alcohol intoxication decreases overall face recognition accuracy.
This research investigated how alcohol intoxication influences the own-race bias. Asian and European participants completed
tests of recognition memory for Asian and European faces when either mildly intoxicated (mean breath alcohol concentration
of .05) or when sober. Compared to their sober counterparts, intoxicated participants showed a reduced own-race bias. Specifically,
alcohol intoxication had a larger negative effect on the recognition of same-race faces compared to different-race faces.
The legal and theoretical implications of these results are discussed.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Original Article
- DOI 10.1007/s10979-009-9204-x
- Authors
- Kirin F. Hilliar, University of New South Wales School of Psychology Sydney NSW Australia
- Richard I. Kemp, University of New South Wales School of Psychology Sydney NSW Australia
- Thomas F. Denson, University of New South Wales School of Psychology Sydney NSW Australia
- Journal Law and Human Behavior
- Online ISSN 1573-661X
- Print ISSN 0147-7307
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