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Some Transactional Perceptions of African Faces
Author(s) -
BELOFF HALLA,
COUPAR SIMPSON
Publication year - 1968
Publication title -
british journal of social and clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.479
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 2044-8260
pISSN - 0007-1293
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8260.1968.tb00556.x
Subject(s) - perception , psychology , social psychology , valence (chemistry) , set (abstract data type) , transactional analysis , cognitive psychology , computer science , physics , quantum mechanics , neuroscience , programming language
In order to explore the perceptual component of attitude structure a group of women teacher‐training students was divided into those having positive and those having negative attitudes towards coloured people. The groups were presented with two perceptual tasks involving photographs of European and African faces. The tasks consisted of the resolution of perceptual ambiguities using a variable stereoscope and the Ames Thereness‐Thatness apparatus. It was predicted that the S s for whom the African faces had negative valence would respond in a more vigilant style to bi‐racial stereograms, and would set the African faces farther away than the European ones with respect to a standard in the Thereness‐Thatness apparatus. For those with positive attitudes the hypothesis was that no differential response to the faces would be made. In general the predictions were confirmed.