Why we respond faster to the self than to others? An implicit positive association theory of self-advantage during implicit face recognition
Abstract
Human adults usually respond faster to their own faces rather than to those of others. We tested the hypothesis that an implicit positive association (IPA) with self mediates self-advantage in face recognition through 4 experiments. Using a self-concept threat (SCT) priming that associated the self with negative personal traits and led to a weakened IPA with self, we found that self-face advantage in an implicit face-recognition task that required identification of face orientation was eliminated by the SCT priming. Moreover, the SCT effect on self-face recognition was evident only with the left-hand responses. Furthermore, the SCT effect on self-face recognition was observed in both Chinese and American participants. Our findings support the IPA hypothesis that defines a social cognitive mechanism of self-advantage in face recognition.
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Subliminal exposure to images of one's own body automatically activates positive self-associations.
“We know that even subliminal exposure to images of one's own body automatically activates positive self-associations [37,38] and thus we argue that perceptions of selfsimilar bodies may activate self-associations in the same way.”
From Changing bodies changes minds: Owning another body affects social cognition (2015) · cites this paper as [38]
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Background
- Authors
- Ma, Y., & Han, S.
- Affiliations
- Peking University (CN)
- ORCID
- Venue
- Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance
- Published
- 2010-06
- Volume
- 36
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 619-633
- ISSN
- 0096-1523 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1277
- OpenAlex
- W2169392191
- Cited by
- 197
- References
- 57
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 19 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 5.24
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Experimental Psychology Human Perception & Performance (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China (30630025; 30828012)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
- Keywords
- self-concept threat, face recognition (cognition), implicit associations, response asymmetry, cross-cultural comparison
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Association Learning, Attention, Character, Discrimination, Psychological, Face, Female, Humans, Male, Pattern Recognition, Visual, Reaction Time, Semantics, Verbal Learning, Recognition, Psychology, Young Adult
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