Gender identity relevance predicts preferential neural processing of same-gendered faces

Abstract

The very early perceptional processes that underlie social categorization can be detected with event-related brain potentials (ERPs). Using this methodology, the present work aims to detect differential attentional processing of ingroup and outgroup members based on gender categories. Specifically, three EEG studies tested how factors that enhance social identity relevance, namely gender identification and contextual salience of gender representation, moderate neural gender categorization effects. Study 1 showed that both women (Study 1a) and men (Study 1b) were more likely to show preferential attention to ingroup over outgroup members, but only when they identified strongly with their gender group. Study 2 showed that when gender categories in an intergroup leadership context were made salient (i.e., when women were numerically underrepresented versus equally represented compared to men), women, irrespective of their level of gender identification, showed preferential attention to ingroup over outgroup members. Together, this work provides empirical evidence for (1) the neural gender categorization effect among both men and women as soon as 100 ms after face perception and (2) the moderating role of factors that enhance social identity relevance in early gender categorization.

It’s a man’s world; right? How women’s opinions about gender inequality affect physiological responses in men

“…Especially people who strongly identify with their group are motivated to protect and improve their group’s image when under threat (Ellemers et al, 1997; Ouwerkerk et al, 2000). People who identify less strongly with their group are less concerned about their ingroup, less inclined to categorize themselves and others based on it (Domen et al, 2020), and tend to focus on their individual outcomes, even at the expense of their group (Ellemers et al, 1997).…”

ASIA: Automated Social Identity Assessment using linguistic style

“…More recently, event-related potentials (ERPs) have been used to detect a neural categorization effect that responds to changes in contextual social identity salience (Domen, Derks, van Veelen, & Scheepers, 2020). However, neither the WSW paradigm nor ERPs can be used to study the dynamic aspects of social identity salience in real-world contexts.…”

Experience-dependent reshaping of body gender perception

“…Indeed, it has been widely shown that the degree of masculinity/femininity, rather than biological sex, is a better predictor of body perception and body satisfaction (Cella et al, 2013). Notably, a recent study showed that gender identification, more the biological sex, explains individual differences in autobiographical memory (Compère et al, 2021) and also modulates the initial perceptual processing responses of male and female observers to same vs. opposite gender faces (Domen et al, 2020). Accordingly, we entered as a predictor into a standard multiple regression analyses two partially independent measures of social autistic traits (i.e., Social skills and Communication; Austin, 2005) and a measure of cognitive autistic traits (i.e., Attention to details), the PST of the BUT, and the Masculinity and Femininity scores of the BSRI.…”

“…Indeed, it has been widely shown that the degree of masculinity/femininity, rather than biological sex, is a better predictor of body perception and body satisfaction (Cella et al, 2013 ). Notably, a recent study showed that gender identification, more the biological sex, explains individual differences in autobiographical memory (Compère et al, 2021 ) and also modulates the initial perceptual processing responses of male and female observers to same vs. opposite gender faces (Domen et al, 2020 ).…”