The own-race bias in facial recognition : a study in multiracial Singapore
The own-race bias (also known as the cross-race or other-race effect) is the phenomenon of recognising own-race faces more accurately than other-race faces, and it has been robustly demonstrated across populations, races, and ages. This has accounted for nearly half of eyewitness misidentifications...
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| Format: | Final Year Project (FYP) |
| Language: | English |
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Nanyang Technological University
2020
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/141434 |
| _version_ | 1811696978360270848 |
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| author | Goh, Annemarie |
| author2 | Rebecca Nichols |
| author_facet | Rebecca Nichols Goh, Annemarie |
| author_sort | Goh, Annemarie |
| collection | NTU |
| description | The own-race bias (also known as the cross-race or other-race effect) is the phenomenon of recognising own-race faces more accurately than other-race faces, and it has been robustly demonstrated across populations, races, and ages. This has accounted for nearly half of eyewitness misidentifications that had resulted in wrongful convictions. Studies have shown that the own-race bias is influenced by the degree of interracial contact and the motivation and ability to process faces beyond racial categories. The rich racial diversity and multicultural policies in Singapore provides a unique context for the own-race bias (ORB) to manifest itself in. To date, only one ORB study has been conducted in Singapore more than two decades ago, which involved Singaporean and Canadian residents, yet it failed to investigate the ORB among local racial groups in Singapore. Hence, it is imperative to study the ORB among local racial groups in Singapore’s increasingly cosmopolitan and racially diverse society. Results showed that amongst Singaporeans, racially Indian participants exhibited the ORB, but racially Chinese participants did not. Interracial contact and racial prejudice were also not significantly correlated with facial recognition ability. The potential effects of both positive racial attitudes and issues of nationality on the ORB are discussed. This study shows that in spite of multicultural policies aimed at promoting interracial contact and racial harmony, the ORB was still produced. All involved in criminal justice decisions in Singapore should be extra cautious when relying on eyewitnesses testimonies to convict offenders of a different race from the eyewitness. |
| first_indexed | 2024-10-01T07:47:57Z |
| format | Final Year Project (FYP) |
| id | ntu-10356/141434 |
| institution | Nanyang Technological University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-10-01T07:47:57Z |
| publishDate | 2020 |
| publisher | Nanyang Technological University |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | ntu-10356/1414342020-06-08T07:45:51Z The own-race bias in facial recognition : a study in multiracial Singapore Goh, Annemarie Rebecca Nichols School of Social Sciences r.nichols@ntu.edu.sg Social sciences::Psychology The own-race bias (also known as the cross-race or other-race effect) is the phenomenon of recognising own-race faces more accurately than other-race faces, and it has been robustly demonstrated across populations, races, and ages. This has accounted for nearly half of eyewitness misidentifications that had resulted in wrongful convictions. Studies have shown that the own-race bias is influenced by the degree of interracial contact and the motivation and ability to process faces beyond racial categories. The rich racial diversity and multicultural policies in Singapore provides a unique context for the own-race bias (ORB) to manifest itself in. To date, only one ORB study has been conducted in Singapore more than two decades ago, which involved Singaporean and Canadian residents, yet it failed to investigate the ORB among local racial groups in Singapore. Hence, it is imperative to study the ORB among local racial groups in Singapore’s increasingly cosmopolitan and racially diverse society. Results showed that amongst Singaporeans, racially Indian participants exhibited the ORB, but racially Chinese participants did not. Interracial contact and racial prejudice were also not significantly correlated with facial recognition ability. The potential effects of both positive racial attitudes and issues of nationality on the ORB are discussed. This study shows that in spite of multicultural policies aimed at promoting interracial contact and racial harmony, the ORB was still produced. All involved in criminal justice decisions in Singapore should be extra cautious when relying on eyewitnesses testimonies to convict offenders of a different race from the eyewitness. Bachelor of Arts in Psychology 2020-06-08T07:45:50Z 2020-06-08T07:45:50Z 2020 Final Year Project (FYP) https://hdl.handle.net/10356/141434 en application/pdf Nanyang Technological University |
| spellingShingle | Social sciences::Psychology Goh, Annemarie The own-race bias in facial recognition : a study in multiracial Singapore |
| title | The own-race bias in facial recognition : a study in multiracial Singapore |
| title_full | The own-race bias in facial recognition : a study in multiracial Singapore |
| title_fullStr | The own-race bias in facial recognition : a study in multiracial Singapore |
| title_full_unstemmed | The own-race bias in facial recognition : a study in multiracial Singapore |
| title_short | The own-race bias in facial recognition : a study in multiracial Singapore |
| title_sort | own race bias in facial recognition a study in multiracial singapore |
| topic | Social sciences::Psychology |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/141434 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gohannemarie theownracebiasinfacialrecognitionastudyinmultiracialsingapore AT gohannemarie ownracebiasinfacialrecognitionastudyinmultiracialsingapore |