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Related Concept Videos

Impression Management Techniques I: Managing Appearances01:29

Impression Management Techniques I: Managing Appearances

Appearance is a multidimensional aspect of self-presentation that encompasses observable attributes such as clothing, grooming, speech, and nonverbal behavior. These elements are often strategically managed to align with socially constructed expectations in different settings. For instance, individuals tailor their appearance during job interviews, social gatherings, or athletic events to meet the perceived norms of those environments.Contextual Adaptation and Social SignalsThe research...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Investigating the 'Uncatchable Smile' in Leonardo da Vinci's La Bella Principessa: A Comparison with the Mona Lisa and Pollaiuolo's Portrait of a Girl
07:14

Investigating the 'Uncatchable Smile' in Leonardo da Vinci's La Bella Principessa: A Comparison with the Mona Lisa and Pollaiuolo's Portrait of a Girl

Published on: October 4, 2016

Mrs Thatcher and the bikini illusion.

Stuart Anstis1

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0109, USA. sanstis@ucsd.edu

Perception
|October 8, 2009
PubMed
Summary

The Mrs Thatcher illusion, a key finding in face perception, demonstrates how disruptions in processing facial features or overall configuration can lead to visual illusions. This phenomenon offers insights into how the brain recognizes faces.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Visual Perception

Background:

  • The Mrs Thatcher illusion, introduced in 1980, is a significant phenomenon in visual perception research.
  • Illusions involving inverted faces, such as upside-down smiles and bodies, are frequently studied.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the mechanisms underlying face perception.
  • To investigate selective breakdowns in configural and featural processing during face recognition.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of the Mrs Thatcher illusion.
  • Comparison with other inverted face perception phenomena.

Main Results:

  • The Mrs Thatcher illusion has been widely cited, indicating its importance.
  • This illusion, along with others, highlights distinct processing pathways for facial features and overall configuration.

More Related Videos

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Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation

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The Modified Temptation Resistance Task: A Paradigm to Elicit Children's Strategic Lie-telling

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Investigating the 'Uncatchable Smile' in Leonardo da Vinci's La Bella Principessa: A Comparison with the Mona Lisa and Pollaiuolo's Portrait of a Girl
07:14

Investigating the 'Uncatchable Smile' in Leonardo da Vinci's La Bella Principessa: A Comparison with the Mona Lisa and Pollaiuolo's Portrait of a Girl

Published on: October 4, 2016

Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation
06:53

Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation

Published on: March 1, 2017

The Modified Temptation Resistance Task: A Paradigm to Elicit Children's Strategic Lie-telling
06:51

The Modified Temptation Resistance Task: A Paradigm to Elicit Children's Strategic Lie-telling

Published on: April 6, 2018

Conclusions:

  • The study of the Mrs Thatcher illusion provides valuable insights into the complexities of human face perception.
  • Understanding these configural and featural processes is crucial for explaining visual illusions related to faces.