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Published VersionCC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Preliminary evidence of an increased susceptibility to face pareidolia in postpartum women
Biology Letters, Vol.19(9), pp.1-6
2023
Abstract
As primates, we are hypersensitive to faces and face-like patterns in the visual environment, hence we often perceive illusory faces in otherwise inanimate objects, such as burnt pieces of toast and the surface of the moon. Although this phenomenon, known as face pareidolia, is a common experience, it is unknown whether our susceptibility to face pareidolia is static across our lifespan or what factors would cause it to change. Given the evidence that behaviour towards face stimuli is modulated by the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT), we reasoned that participants in stages of life associated with high levels of endogenous OT might be more susceptible to face pareidolia than participants in other stages of life. We tested this hypothesis by assessing pareidolia susceptibility in two groups of women; pregnant women (low endogenous OT) and postpartum women (high endogenous OT). We found evidence that postpartum women report seeing face pareidolia more easily than women who are currently pregnant. These data, collected online, suggest that our sensitivity to face-like patterns is not fixed and may change throughout adulthood, providing a crucial proof of concept that requires further research.
Details
- Title
- Preliminary evidence of an increased susceptibility to face pareidolia in postpartum women
- Authors
- Jessica Taubert (Corresponding Author) - The University of QueenslandSamantha Wally (Author) - The University of QueenslandBarnaby J. Dixson (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - Psychology
- Publication details
- Biology Letters, Vol.19(9), pp.1-6
- Publisher
- The Royal Society Publishing
- Date published
- 2023
- DOI
- 10.1098/rsbl.2023.0126
- ISSN
- 1744-957X; 1744-9561
- Copyright note
- © 2023 The Authors. Published by the Royal Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, which permits unrestricted use, provided the original author and source are credited.
- Organisation Unit
- Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research; School of Health - Psychology
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99968898502621
- Output Type
- Journal article
Metrics
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web Of Science research areas
- Biology
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology