Sex differences in face recognition memory:an ERP study on the own-gender bias
Previous studies reported that participants are more accurate at remembering faces of their own as compared to the other gender, a phenomenon known as the own-gender bias. The present study is the first to examine neural mechanisms underlying this phenomenon by investigating event-related potential (ERP) correlates of recognition memory for young adult female and male faces in young adult female and male participants. Behavioural results demonstrated an own-gender-bias for male participants, reflecting more accurate recognition memory for male as compared to female faces. No corresponding bias was observed for female participants. Importantly, an interaction of face by participant gender was found in the early ERP old/new effect, which consisted of more positive amplitudes for hits compared to correct rejections between 300-500 ms. Thus, in female participants the early old/new effect was enhanced for female as compared to male faces. By contrast, an increased early old/new effect for male as compared to female faces was detected in male participants. Additionally, in the subsequent time window (500-800 ms) enhanced old/new effects for female as compared to male faces were observed in both male and female participants. Whereas this late old/new effect suggests increased recollection-based memory for female faces in both male and female observers, results in the early old/new effect time window may indicate increased familiarity-based recognition for faces of the participants’ respective gender. Stronger reliance on feelings of familiarity in male as compared to female participants may thus underlie the asymmetrical behavioural own-gender bias in the present study. Funding: DFG - German Research Foundation.
Keywords:
EEG,
Memory
Conference:
XI International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON XI), Palma, Mallorca, Spain, 25 Sep - 29 Sep, 2011.
Presentation Type:
Poster Presentation
Topic:
Poster Sessions: Neural Bases of Memory and Learning
Citation:
Wolff
N,
Kemter
K,
Schweinberger
SR and
Wiese
H
(2011). Sex differences in face recognition memory:an ERP study on the own-gender bias.
Conference Abstract:
XI International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON XI).
doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2011.207.00411
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Received:
24 Nov 2011;
Published Online:
28 Nov 2011.
*
Correspondence:
Dr. Nicole Wolff, FSU Jena, Jena, Germany, nicole.wolff@uni-jena.de