Self-specific priming effect.
Priority of the "self" is thought to be evolutionarily advantageous. However, evidence for this priority has been sparse. In this study, subjects performed a gender categorization task on self- and non-self target faces preceded by either congruent (same gender as target) or incongruent (different gender) periliminal (33ms) or subliminal (17ms) primes. We found that subliminal primes induced a priming effect only on self target faces. This discovery of a self-specific priming effect suggests that functional specificity for faces may include timing as well as spatial adaptations.
Pannese
Alessia
A
Program for Imaging and Cognitive Sciences (PICS), Columbia University, Neurological Institute B41, 710 W. 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, United States. ap2215@columbia.edu
Hirsch
Joy
J
D000328:Adult; D001244:Association; D001288:Attention; D003463:Cues; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D004532:Ego; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D011930:Reaction Time; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D013360:Subliminal Stimulation; D055815:Young Adult