"They all look alike": Understanding the "other race effect"

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

Prime example of what the study this thread is based on is talking about. YOU as a black person may notice hair texture, skin tone, etc as distinguishing characteristics. Since Asians tend to have the same hair texture and skin tone (with some variance - just as all white people aren't as pale as Lindsey Loho), they have other things they look for. I know eye shape is one. You look and see Asian eyes, they look and see upward slant, downward slant, size/openness. I did have three friends in college who were Asian, and while we didn't discuss race in regards to the question I posed, one was Japanese, one was Korean, and one was Malaysian and they had very different eyes...but to someone who didn't know, they would all be identifiable as Asian eyes.

Good point and to the average non Asian, eyes aren't something that we would tend to notice on first glance.

But I also would tend to think that anyone, not just someone of color would be able to see huge differences between people of African descent because, IMO it's much more noticable than mostly anything else.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

But I also would tend to think that anyone, not just someone of color would be able to see huge differences between people of African descent because, IMO it's much more noticable than mostly anything else.

In YOUR opinion...as "someone of color". See thread title.

My $0.02 as the white person here...I tend to identify caucasians by hair color. I think other whites do as well. Example: When I started dying my hair red, people in my church started mistaking me for another redhead in our church. Even people who had known us for years couldn't tell us apart from behind, and she's got a good 4 inches on me.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

My $0.02 as the white person here...I tend to identify caucasians by hair color.

I do too, at least at first. That said, I think I do identify by differences in skin tone as well.

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

In YOUR opinion...as "someone of color". See thread title.

My $0.02 as the white person here...I tend to identify caucasians by hair color. I think other whites do as well. Example: When I started dying my hair red, people in my church started mistaking me for another redhead in our church. Even people who had known us for years couldn't tell us apart from behind, and she's got a good 4 inches on me.

I see your point but almost anyone could make that mistake even with the height difference, but what does that say when confronted by a group of 2 or more individuals being viewed from the front?

This is the same kind of thing that is considered with criminal cases that comes to a question of getting a reliable witness description of a suspect.

Racist tendancies aside, when people go to describe a suspect of color, one who is Asian or hispanic, how accurate is their description if they don't know the difference of features that sets us apart?

[rhoyaltempest]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

Good point and to the average non Asian, eyes aren't something that we would tend to notice on first glance.

But I also would tend to think that anyone, not just someone of color would be able to see huge differences between people of African descent because, IMO it's much more noticable than mostly anything else.

Exactly...huge differences vs. subtle differences. I stand behind what I stated and those that can't see it either don't choose to see it or won't allow themselves to see it, which is fine.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by rhoyaltempest

I stand behind what I stated and those that can't see it either don't choose to see it or won't allow themselves to see it, which is fine.

This has been researched and discussed for generations. I am actually quite nonsurprised by what people seem to have taken from the conclusions of the study that prompted this thread.