- Facial pareidolia is when people see faces in random objects or light patterns
- Women who have just given birth are most likely to experience this occurrence
Whether it’s a cloud formation, a piece of tree bark or even a slice of toast, we all think we’ve seen familiar faces in the most unlikely places.
The phenomenon, called facial pareidolia, is when people recognize recognizable images in random objects or light patterns.
Research now shows that women who have just given birth are most likely to experience this event.
Researchers surveyed 401 women in three groups who were pregnant, had given birth in the past 12 months, or were neither.
All were shown a series of images, including ‘obvious’ faces in vegetables or in rock formations, and ‘difficult’ faces in leaves and fire.
Although facial pareidolia is commonly experienced by people, much is unknown about why this happens
The phenomenon, called face pareidolia, occurs when people recognize recognizable images in random objects or light patterns (photo: the apparent face of Jesus on a piece of toast)
Researchers surveyed 401 women in three groups who were pregnant, had given birth in the past 12 months, or were neither.
The women who had recently given birth saw faces more often in both categories than the women in the other groups.
It suggests that women are more sensitive to seeing faces during early parenthood, possibly promoting social bonding, the researchers said.
Writing in the journal Biology Letters, researchers from the University of Queensland in Australia say their findings are “the first demonstration that our sensitivity to faces is not stable across our adult lives.”
They said experiencing facial pareidolia has previously been linked to dementia, Parkinson’s and increased feelings of loneliness.
From angry handbags to washing machines in distress, people see faces in all kinds of inanimate objects – a strange phenomenon known as ‘facial pareidolia’.
A previous study found that faces seen in inanimate objects were more likely to be perceived as male
‘Quantifying the factors that predict changes in this sensitivity will be essential to… decide whether facial pareidolia is just a fun side effect of hypersensitivity to faces… or a diagnostic tool that could be used to monitor the progression of the to monitor illness and identify mental problems.’ decline in health,” she added.
A previous study found that faces seen in inanimate objects were more likely to be perceived as male.
In a large experiment involving nearly 4,000 adults, researchers found that there was a strong bias in interpreting faces as male rather than female, at a ratio of about 4:1.
This could be because male is the ‘default’ gender for a face, unless other visual details such as long eyelashes, shaped eyebrows and long hair are visible, the scientists said.
In a large experiment involving nearly 4,000 adults, researchers found that there was a strong bias in interpreting faces as male rather than female, at a ratio of about 4:1.
Women were shown a range of images, including ‘obvious’ faces in vegetables or in rock formations, and ‘difficult’ faces in leaves and fire.
CAN YOU SEE A ‘MAN IN THE MOON’?
One of the most famous examples of facial pareidolia is seeing a man’s face on the surface of the moon.
The moon consists of lunar seas and highlands that we see from Earth as dark and light places.
These ‘seas’, also called maria, are actually huge hardened lava plains, made up of volcanic rock that is less reflective than other parts of the moon’s surface.
General interpretation of the man in the moon as seen from the Northern Hemisphere. 1) The Sea of Showers (Mare Imbrium); 2) The Sea of Tranquility (Mare Tranquillitatis); 3) The Sea of Vapors (Mare Vaporum); 4) The Sea of Islands (Mare Insularum); 5) The sea that has become known (Mare Cognitum); 6) The Sea of Clouds (Mare Nubium)
The highlands, meanwhile, are relatively brighter, giving the moon its characteristic light and dark spots.
These light and dark spots form what some see as a basic face: the man in the moon, but why it is not seen as a woman is unknown.
Throughout history, people around the world have interpreted these lunar landscapes in familiar forms and created stories to explain them.
Seeing a shape in the moon is just one example of pareidolia. Others include seeing shapes in clouds or faces in slices of toast.
Source: RMG
