Media release

From: The Royal Society

Preliminary evidence of an increased susceptibility to face pareidolia in postpartum women

Women in the postpartum phase of pregnancy reported seeing the face pareidolia illusion more easily than expectant mothers. These results provide the first demonstration that our susceptibility to face pareidolia varies across adulthood. Further, these results suggest there is a potential link between our capacity for face detection and the hormones that are known to vary during pregnancy and the early stages of parenthood.

Seeing faces – Women who have just given birth may be more likely to see faces in inanimate objects. In online surveys, 401 women across three groups (pregnant, postpartum, and not pregnant or postpartum) were shown a series of images. Women who had given birth were more likely to see ‘illusory faces’ than pregnant women. This preliminary evidence may suggest that women are more sensitive to seeing faces in early parenthood, potentially promoting social bonding.