Template for 3w article summary

1.Complete citation of article?

Bernstein, M. J., Young, S. G., & Hugenberg, K. (2007). The Cross-Category

Effect: Mere Social Categorization Is Sufficient to Elicit an Own-Group Bias in Face
Recognition. Psychological Science, 18(8), 706–712. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-
9280.2007.01964.x

2.What did the experimenter do?

In this experiment there was two studies being conducted on subjects within their
university and people outside of the university. The study mainly was conducting the
understanding of observational bias in face recognition. This experiment is testing a
theory that we all may have been subconsciously doing from time to time. This
experiment is based from the understanding of cross race effect and this effect is the
understanding of ‘in-group’ will recognize ‘in-group’. However, if one subject is not from
or created alike to the subjects in the ‘in-group’ they may have trouble recognizing that
‘in-group’ individual.

What is the overarching question?

Overall both studies were looking into the viewing of results from university students to
see if they would be able to recognize an ‘in-group’ individual. In study two the only
difference was to view if a subject can identify a subject based upon if an individual had
a red personality or a green personality.

What are the Independent and Dependent variables?

In study one the facial pictures and the descriptions are the independent variables. The
recognition is the dependent variable.

In study two the personality and the facial pictures are the independent variable. The
recognition answers is the dependent variable.

What is the basic design (within, between subjects, mixed model) ?

Overall I believe both studies are within – subject due to the different aspect of have
multiple ways of one topic being measured.

Briefly describe the experiment

Study one- using a red and green back ground on different people facial pictures. They
also used a description or title for the picture to see if the subject will be able to identify
the individual.
Study two- they used a personality testing on each student and categorize them as a
red personality or a green personality. Then they saw pictures of people that categories
them as red personality or green personality.

3.What did they find?

Overall they found similarly to what was expected which was that ‘in-group’ can
recognize ‘ in-group’ subjects more than they could ‘out-group’ subjects.

What are the main results and/or outcomes from the research?

Mainly the difference of the results showed that the background color didn’t affect the
outcome in study one. However, in a social categorizing aspect the colors did impact
the results of recognition of the faces.

4.What does it mean?

This means that overall it’s subconscious that we are able to recognize our own racial or
‘in-group’ people better than we could for ‘out-group’ individuals.

What is the take home message?

In total we view things in a simple manner of what we are accustom to. People are more
likely to give a recognition towards people they can easily recognize.

What do we know that we did not know before the research was conducted?

That you are accustom to facial and personality like people that you are accustom to.