Multiple group membership influences face-recognition: Recall and neurological evidence

The limited face-recognition research involving targets categorizable on multiple dimensions has provided contradictory evidence as to how partial-ingroup members are processed and recognized. This research demonstrates that partial-ingroup members are recognized in a manner distinct from double-ingroup and double-outgroup targets. Specifically, when race and university-affiliation are crossed, university-affiliation does not influence recognition for own-race targets, but does for other-race targets, in that other-race/own-university targets are recalled more accurately than other-race/other-university targets. The neurological mechanisms involved in the effect are explored through the inclusion of electroencephalography.

► Utilizes targets categorizable on two dimensions to examine how partial ingroup members are recognized. ► Provides evidence that partial-ingroup members are processed uniquely from both double ingroup and double outgroup targets. ► Examines whether partial ingroup members are recognized uniquely by analyzing ERPs collected during a face-recognition task.