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Related Experiment Videos

Perceptions of race.

Leda Cosmides1, John Tooby, Robert Kurzban

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of California, 93106, Santa Barbara, CA, USA

Trends in Cognitive Sciences
|April 15, 2003
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Race perception is not automatic but a byproduct of evolved cognitive mechanisms. Manipulating social coalitions significantly reduces race encoding, suggesting its link to social group tracking.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Science
  • Social Psychology
  • Evolutionary Psychology

Background:

  • Previous research suggested race perception is automatic and mandatory.
  • Evolutionary analysis indicates race encoding is not an evolved function but a byproduct.
  • Alternative hypotheses propose race encoding stems from mechanisms for tracking coalitional alliances or natural kinds.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the underlying cognitive mechanisms of race perception.
  • To test whether race encoding is a byproduct of social cognition, specifically coalitional psychology.
  • To determine if manipulating coalitional variables affects race perception.

Main Methods:

  • Review of evolutionary analyses of cognitive mechanisms.
  • Experimental manipulation of coalitional variables in person perception tasks.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Assessment of race noticing and memory under different social contexts.

    • Main Results:

    • Race encoding is not a mandatory or automatic process.
    • Race perception is significantly reduced when coalitional variables are manipulated.
    • Findings support the hypothesis that race encoding is a byproduct of mechanisms evolved for tracking social coalitions.

    Conclusions:

    • Race perception is not an inherent cognitive function but emerges from other evolved social cognitive systems.
    • The brain's mechanisms for understanding social coalitions play a crucial role in how race is perceived and processed.
    • Future research should explore the interplay between social categorization and racial perception.