OPTICAL illusions boggle the mind all the time, but how you experience them can depend on the time of year.
Looking at the optical illusion of a “duck or rabbit,” the brain may form a stronger association with them depending on the age of the year, research suggests.
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The perception of the “duck or bunny” illusion may depend on the season Credit: Getty
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Some illusions can be perceived differently depending on age. Credit: Wikimedia Commons
In a study published in the journal Perceptual and Motor Skills, the experts explained that the drawing was shown to 265 subjects at Easter and 276 in October.
Most people saw a bunny at Easter and a bird in October.
“This biased effect of expectation on perception was observed in young children (2 to 10 years) as well as older subjects (11 to 93 years),” the researchers said.
A related study reports that this illusion is also a test of creativity.
Participants were asked how easy it was for them to alternate between seeing the rabbit and the duck.
Those who could choose which animal to see showed a greater capacity for creativity.
Some optical illusions depend on prejudices and associations and not everyone sees them in the same way.
Certain eye conditions or diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma, or diabetic retinopathy can affect a person’s contrast sensitivity.
Another element of these illusions is contrast sensitivity, which is a measure of the visual system’s ability to distinguish an object from its background.
The target must be large enough to be seen, but also have a large enough contrast to the background, according to Science Direct.
When stationary objects appear to move back and forth or up and down, this is called oscillopsia.
Most people use the terms “optical illusion” and “visual illusion” interchangeably, according to Psychology Today.
Optical illusions are specific to the interaction of light with matter, such as when a pencil appears bent when placed in a glass of water.
Visual illusions are caused by processing in the visual system.
Visual illusion perceptions are the end results of cognitive processing steps and may or may not be related to objective reality.
Some illusions can be perceived differently depending on age.
Research in Australia has shown that younger people see a younger woman first, while older people see an older woman first.
“Therefore, the results show that high-level social group processes have a subliminal effect on the early stages of facial processing,” the researchers said in the study.
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: newstars.edu.vn