Self-face advantage and social threat: Cross-cultural aspects

Abstract

Introduction. Self-face advantage is related to a faster response that adult people have to their own face compared to other visual stimuli. Research in self-face advantage generally focuses on two social characteristics: social threat and cultural differences. The reported study investigated cross-cultural aspects of the relationship between social threat and self-face advantage. We expected to find cross-cultural differences in the reaction time to one’s own face in social situations involving high and low threat. The data on the Russian sample were compared with American and Chinese samples.

Materials and methods. The sample consisted of 20 Russian undergraduate students who were asked to identify orientations of self-face in visual trials involving low and high social threats. In experimental sets, the level of social threat was moderated by the images of university professors that induced high or low level of social anxiety. The sets were constructed individually for each participant. The reaction time and the response accuracy were registered for each trial.

Results. We have found some differences in the reaction time to one’s own face in different social situations involving high and low threats in Russian, American, and Chinese samples. First, Russian students tend to show a lower level of social fears. Second, their self-face advantage is less susceptible to the “boss effect” in comparison with Chinese and Americans students. Gender as a source of social threat also contributes to the magnitude of the “boss effect”.

Conclusion. The results can be used by psychologists providing support for university students. The obtained data may also become the foundation for complex and large-scale experimental models.