IF you can see both women in this classic optical illusion, then you have a sharper eye than most.
“My wife or my mother-in-law” is one of the most famous illusions in history, and researchers believe that your age may determine what you see.
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The illusion can be seen as two different women, one young and one old Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Viewers may see a young woman looking to the side or an older woman with a hooked nose looking to the left.
If you’re having a hard time telling the two apart, the clue to look for is the girl’s chin, which is also the older woman’s nose.
The oldest version of the illusion first appeared on a German postcard in 1888.
The most famous version, seen here, was drawn by British cartoonist William Ely Hill and appeared in the American magazine “Puck” on November 6, 1915.
A 2018 study published by two psychology professors at Flinders University in Australia claims that the number you see is related to your age.
The study says that older people will notice an older woman first, while younger people will see a younger figure.
The research included 393 participants (242 men, 141 women) from 18 to 68 years old, with an average age of 32 years.
They were shown an image for half a second and then asked to reveal the gender and age of the figure they saw first.
Most of the participants saw the younger woman first.
The researchers said this could be because most of the participants lean towards the younger side.
When the researchers separated 10 percent of the older subjects and 10 percent of the younger subjects, they found that the older group saw the older woman first.
Younger individuals, on the other hand, saw a younger figure.
The objective of the study was to determine “if the prejudices of one’s own age affect the initial interpretation of the image at a subconscious level.”
Optical illusions are often just for fun, but they also have real value to scientists.
Brain puzzles help researchers shed light on the inner workings of the mind and how it reacts to the environment.
In 2017, University of Sydney scientists Kim Ransley and Alex O. Holcombe highlighted the importance of illusions to our understanding of the brain.
“Visual illusions show us that we don’t have direct access to reality,” the couple wrote in The Conversation.
“They can also hint at the mental processing that our experience of the visible world provides.
“In fact, the processing that takes place within our brains is the basis for many illusions.
“Instead of delivering information from our eyes in almost crude form like a camera would, the brain tries to determine what’s really out there.
“When the information going into the eye is ambiguous, the brain has to make informed guesses.”
It follows last week’s release of a spooky illusion that makes the viewer feel like they are falling into a black hole.
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In the image on the left, the part is shaded to highlight the face of the young woman, while on the right you can see the old witch.
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Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education