Asymmetric neurocognitive representation of ethnic in-group/out-group faces

To investigate asymmetric neurocognitive representation of ethnic in-group and out-group members, we recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) to faces in a perceptual task after the faces had been primed with positive or negative affective links. The affective link priming did not influence the ERPs to ethnic out-group faces. However, relative to the positive affective link priming, the negative affective link priming increased the amplitudes of an early frontal negativity (N100) and a following central negativity but decreased the amplitude of a late positive potential elicited by ethnic in-group faces. Moreover, the N100 amplitude correlated with the degree of negative attitudes towards ethnic in-group faces. The findings suggest that multiple-level neural mechanisms are involved in individuation of heterogeneous ethnic in-group faces. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 30630025, 30828012) and Minzu University of China (Project 985)