The Positivity Bias Phenomenon in Face Perception Given Different Information on Ability
Sasa Zhao1,2, Yanhui Xiang1,2,3, Jiushu Xie1,2
1Center for the Study of Applied Psychology, School of Psychology, South China Normal UniversityGuangzhou, China.
Frontiers in Psychology
|May 13, 2017
Summary
People show a positivity bias when processing non-threatening ability information in faces, influencing expression perception more than negativity bias. This finding expands research on cognitive processing biases.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Social Neuroscience
- Perception Science
Background:
- The negativity bias, a tendency to focus on negative stimuli, is well-documented in face processing.
- Previous research often links this bias to perceived threats in stimuli, such as negative moral behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if a positivity bias emerges when processing non-threatening ability-related information in neutral faces.
- To compare the influence of high-ability versus low-ability information on face perception.
Main Methods:
- Conducted behavioral and event-related potentials (ERPs) experiments.
- Participants rated neutral faces before and after associating them with high-ability, low-ability, or control sentences.
- ERPs measured neural responses during face processing.
Main Results:
- Behavioral data showed faces associated with high-ability sentences were rated more positively, and those with low-ability sentences more negatively, post-learning.
- The shift towards positivity was more pronounced for high-ability associations.
- ERPs revealed enhanced early sensory processing (early posterior negativity) for faces linked to high-ability sentences.
Conclusions:
- A positivity bias influences face perception when processing non-threatening ability information.
- High-ability information exerts a stronger impact on expression perception than low-ability information.
- Person-related knowledge significantly modulates face processing, particularly in non-threatening contexts.
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