I did read it, and I wondered how applicable the research is when going beyond a face on a screen and moving towards characters with personalities. All the four characters had distinctive and different personalities and storylines and circumstances that meant they could be distinguished by more than just a face. They also have very different names that point to a variety of cultural backgrounds.
My original comment wasn’t just aimed at you. In fact I couldn’t tell you which users were confusing the characters as I tend to read posts rather than user names; it just struck me that it kept happening in a way that wasn’t happening with the white characters. So it wasn’t personal and I can imagine that not seeing it for ages means your memories are indistinct.
But MN is a very white place so if you read a thread where the very small number of Asian characters is being mixed up, despite distinct plot lines, the impression is that posters are indeed thinking either/or ‘they all look the same’ or ‘they all have foreign names’. How does that feel to posters who might also ‘all look the same’.
However scientific something may be, and individual scientific studies are always up for debate, posting that link when it’s pointed out how different the characters are just reinforces the sense of ‘othering’ non-white people. And let’s face it, the connotations of the conclusion aren’t usually being quoted as the outcome of a study.
I really didn’t want to derail the thread but I am ever more conscious of this sort of discussion in society so do try to stick my neck above the parapet a bit.