Self-face resemblance attenuates other-race face effect in the amygdala

People respond favorably toward self-resembling faces. We investigated the pattern of responding in the amygdala of Caucasian participants to self-face resemblance expressed in same and other-race (African descent) faces. The amygdala response was 1) non-linear to faces as a function of self-facial resemblance and 2) attenuated to other-race self-resembling faces when regressed with implicit racial attitudes. These findings demonstrate that interactions of important facial social judgements are processed combinatorially in the amygdala.