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

[tld221]

I worked with a girl who "no one" could tell apart. Our residents, RAs and even our RD would start convos with one of us and continue it the next day with the other.


I'd just *blank stare* until they realized I wasn't her. Then followed by the awkward "omgz, you look JUST ALIKE, you even sound the same."


Me: 5' 7", dark, clear skin, from nyc w/ an accent to match, contacts, and I worked there almost a year before co-worker!
Her: 5' 10", a little lighter, acne-d skin, from florida w/ accent to match, glasses, braces.


We just combined our names and when faced w/ mix-up, laugh it off w/ a "I know we have the same smile..."


So yeah, I hear what Dr. Phil is saying.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by tld221

I worked with a girl who "no one" could tell apart. Our residents, RAs and even our RD would start convos with one of us and continue it the next day with the other.


I'd just *blank stare* until they realized I wasn't her. Then followed by the awkward "omgz, you look JUST ALIKE, you even sound the same."


Me: 5' 7", dark, clear skin, from nyc w/ an accent to match, contacts, and I worked there almost a year before co-worker!
Her: 5' 10", a little lighter, acne-d skin, from florida w/ accent to match, glasses, braces.


We just combined our names and when faced w/ mix-up, laugh it off w/ a "I know we have the same smile..."


So yeah, I hear what Dr. Phil is saying.

Yes and I hear what you and rhoyaltempest are saying. Based on such trends, whites are generally mistaken for other whites less often because:

1) Whites are less likely than racial and ethnic minorities to have substantial interracial interactions and associations. Being around other white people most of the time, with exception for the relatively few instances when you are not, does not lend itself to being mistaken for other white people. Plus, in looking at dominant-minority relations, particular statuses do not lend themselves to mistaking that white person for another white person. Even if you think "they" all look alike, you better damn well know that they aren't the same person if this is a person who has some level of power over you.

2) This is a generally segregated country and world so people's knowledge of "others" will operate accordingly, similar to what Drolefille said but without the dominant-minority relations approach. Being the sprinkle of brown in majority nonbrown settings can lend itself to being confused for another brown person particularly if brown people are not considered "worth" recognizing and distinguishing which is what rhoyaltempest was saying.

In other words, these researchers had a particular research question that asks "why" in the literal sense of the imagery and psychology of it all but not in the social sense of "why." Their findings will be taken within context and critiqued as all research is.