The phenomenon where individuals are better able to recognize faces of people of their own race, ethnicity, or social group compared to those of other races, ethnicities, or social groups is a cognitive bias impacting facial recognition. For instance, an individual may find it easier to distinguish between different faces of people within their own ethnic community, while struggling to differentiate between faces from a different ethnic group.
This bias has significant implications within various contexts, including eyewitness testimony, security systems, and even social interactions. Understanding its basis is crucial for improving the accuracy of identification processes and mitigating potential injustices that can arise from misidentification. Historically, researchers have explored this effect through cognitive psychology experiments, revealing factors such as differential exposure and encoding strategies contribute to its manifestation.