You can find a whole host of different kinds of puzzles and optical illusions on the web. However, one of them is exceptionally popular and has probably come across it many times. It’s about a picture of… Well, who exactly? For some – an old lady, for others – a young woman. According to scientists, there is a simple relationship that determines what you will see first. Is it the same in your case?
It’s the most popular optical illusion in the world. It’s over 100 years old.
The riddle “My Wife and My Mother-in-Law” is over 100 years old, and yet it still sparks heated discussions and sometimes arguments between internet users. It was created in 1915 and drawn by an American, William Ely Hill. It was first published in the magazine “Puck”, and later appeared in the press many times. Interestingly, when creating it, the artist was inspired by an even older work, or more precisely, a German postcard from 1888.
Look at the picture. What did you see first?
The illustration “my wife and my mother-in-law” is nothing more than an optical one. After looking at it, some people see an old lady in a fur coat and a scarf, while others see a young woman turned slightly backwards with a necklace around her neck. What determines who you see? It turns out that the question also intrigued scientists, who took the subject under the microscope and conducted research on almost 400 people. What conclusions did they reach?
Optical illusion ‘my wife or my mother-in-law’ Optical illusion ‘my wife or my mother-in-law’. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org / a famous optical illusion. Appears in Puck, v. 78, no. 2018 (1915 Nov. 6), p. 11 / Library of Congress’s Prints and Photographs division
What do you see first? Scientists have noticed a certain relationship
According to research conducted by Australian scientists, what we see first in an illustration depends largely on our . A slightly simplified version of the illustration was shown to 242 men and 151 women from the United States. The subjects were aged 18 to 68, with the majority being younger participants, and they saw the graphic for half a second. The test showed that we find it easier to see a face that is similar in age to ourselves. So most people pointed to the young woman. Will this correlation work for you too?
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
