"My wife and my mother-in-law" is one of the most famous optical illusions in the world. What you see depends on the perception of the face: you can see a young woman turning to the side, or you can see the profile of an older woman. An Australian study has now found out how the perception of this optical illusion is related to your age.
Have you ever wondered why you see an older woman or a young woman first? According to the an Australian study, a young person will first perceive a younger woman, and older people will perceive an older one.
It participated in the study 393 people (242 men and 141 women) aged between 18 and 68, the average age was 32 years. They were shown the picture for half a second, and then asked about the gender and age of the person they see in the picture.
Although most participants saw the young woman first, this may be because most were younger. When the researchers separated the oldest 10 percent and the youngest 10 percent, they found that older people see an older woman first, and younger people see a younger one.
The goal of the study was "to find out whether our age affects the initial interpretation of the image at the subconscious level". Also, if you see an older lady first, remember: you are only as young as you feel.
More information:
nature.com
