Guilty by mere similarity: Assimilative effects of facial resemblance on automatic evaluation

Drawing on previous evidence for affective generalization in face perception, the current research investigated the effects of facial similarity on automatic evaluations of unknown individuals who resemble a known person of positive or negative valence. Using 50% morphs that combined a known face of positive or negative valence with an unknown face of neutral valence, the morphed faces elicited the same automatic evaluations as the known faces they resembled. Automatic evaluations of known faces were indistinguishable from responses to perceptually similar unknown faces, suggesting that resemblance effects on automatic evaluations involve an assimilation of unknown faces to existing representations of known faces. Moreover, valence-congruent resemblance effects emerged for both positive and negative targets, suggesting that similarity-based activation of evaluative knowledge can override the affective positivity resulting from the higher fluency of processing familiar faces. Implications for research on face perception, transference, and processing fluency are discussed. ► Unknown faces elicited the same automatic evaluations as known faces they resembled. ► Valence-congruent resemblance effects emerged for positive and negative known faces. ► Results suggest assimilation of unknown faces to existing representations of known faces. ► Similarity-based activation of evaluative knowledge can override fluency effects.