Kate
Is it true that western people can't distinguish Chinese people's faces?

I'v heard that western people can't distinguish Chinese people's faces. But I don't think so. What's the truth?^_^

Sep 16, 2014 4:23 AM
Comments · 41
9

There is actually some scientific basis for this sort of opinion, research has show that babies that grow up around one racial group find it easier to distinguish between the facial features of that group when they are toddlers... but this applies to all racial groups.

Anecdotally, a lot of my Chinese friends say they think white people and black people all look the same, and I can use many of my friends ID to check into hotels, fly domestically etc 

 

So I'd say the answer is generally yes, unless that person has grown up in a racially diverse place.

September 16, 2014
8

Having different opinions it totally legal in most countries.

September 16, 2014
5

Yes, I also heard about that. Many people say that Asians and Africans look very similar one to another. I think that it could be true, in a manner, since they effectively have similar eyes shape, similar nose and mouth shape. They have all the same hair color and eyes color...

 

White people, instead, are more different characteristics. We can have blond hair, dark or red; we can have blue, brown or green eyes; we can have darker or lighter skin and more... We are more various, and it's a given fact.

September 16, 2014
3

No.

September 16, 2014
2

What you're thinking of is the psychological concept known as the "Cross-Race Effect"

 

From Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-race_effect

The cross-race effect (sometimes called cross-race bias, other-race bias or own-race bias) refers to the tendency to more easily recognize members of one's own race. A study was made which examined 271 real court cases. The results from this study showed that witnesses correctly identified 65 % of the defendants which were of the same race as them. On the other hand, 45% of the defendants were identified which belonged to a different race than the witnesses.

September 16, 2014
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