Racial salience modulated the face race lightness illusion: A comparative study of Caucasians and Asians

Abstract

Previous research has demonstrated the existence of the face race lightness (FRL) illusion. It indicates that Black faces tend to appear darker than White faces, even when their luminance values are objectively adjusted to be the same. However, the debate over the exclusive influence of face-race categories on the FRL illusion continues, with the impact of racial groups on the illusion remaining relatively unexplored. To address these gaps, we conducted studies to investigate whether the FRL illusion varies in terms of racial salience and racial groups. We manipulated the racial salience by altering the orientation of the faces. A total of 64 Caucasians (Study 1) and 63 Asians (Study 2) were recruited. Participants were shown pairs of faces in rapid succession and were asked to report which face appeared lighter or darker. In each trial, the two faces belonged to the same race category: Black, Black–White ambiguous, or White. The luminance of the first face remained consistent across trials while the luminance of the second face varied and was adjusted across eight levels (− 20, − 12, − 8, − 4, + 4, + 8, + 12, + 20). Our findings reveal that the FRL illusion is largely dependent on the salience of face-race information. When faces were presented upright, the FRL illusion was prominent; however, it disappeared when faces were inverted. Remarkably, the FRL illusion was observed not only in Caucasians but also in Asians. Therefore, our results suggest that the FRL illusion primarily stems from race salience rather than participants’ racial groups.