From race to age: What shapes categorization advantages?
Anna Lorenzoni (University of Padova)
Social categorization is shaped by perceptual and social factors, often leading to faster processing of out-group compared to in-group stimuli. The present work investigates this phenomenon across two domains: race and age. In the first set of studies, we examined the Other-Race Categorization Advantage (ORCA) and its modulation by gaze direction in Italian and Japanese participants. Results showed that gaze direction influenced ORCA in Italian participants but not in Japanese participants, suggesting cultural differences in face processing strategies. In a second line of research, we explored the Other-Age Categorization Advantage (OACA). Findings revealed an advantage for categorizing other-age faces in young children, whereas adults showed a reversed pattern, suggesting increased expertise or social relevance for own-age faces. Together, these findings highlight that categorization advantages are flexible and depend on both perceptual cues (e.g., gaze direction) and observer characteristics (e.g., cultural background and age), pointing to a dynamic interplay between low-level visual processing and social experience.
English 
Italiano