Multisensory stimulation of other-race faces and the reduction of racial prejudice

Estudillo, Alejandro J., Bindemann, Markus (2016) Multisensory stimulation of other-race faces and the reduction of racial prejudice. Consciousness and Cognition, 42 . pp. 325-339. ISSN 1053-8100. (doi:10.1016/j.concog.2016.04.006)

Abstract

This study investigated whether multisensory stimulation with other-race faces can reduce racial prejudice. In three experiments, the faces of Caucasian observers were stroked with a cotton bud while they watched a black face being stroked in synchrony on a computer screen. This was compared with a neutral condition, in which no tactile stimulation was administered (Experiment 1 and 2), and with a condition in which observers' faces were stroked in asynchrony with the onscreen face (Experiment 3). In all experiments, observers experienced an enfacement illusion after synchronous stimulation, whereby they reported to embody the other-race face. However, this effect did not produce concurrent changes in implicit or explicit racial prejudice. This outcome contrasts with other procedures for the reduction of self-other differences that decrease racial prejudice, such as behavioural mimicry and intergroup contact. We speculate that enfacement is less effective for such prejudice reduction because it does not encourage perspective-taking.

Item Type:	Article
DOI/Identification number:	10.1016/j.concog.2016.04.006
Uncontrolled keywords:	Multisensory stimulation; Racial prejudice; Enfacement
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions:	Faculties > Social Sciences > School of Psychology > Cognitive Psychology
Depositing User:	Markus Bindemann
Date Deposited:	06 Jun 2016 14:00 UTC
Last Modified:	29 May 2019 17:27 UTC
Resource URI:	https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/55814 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)