We all are aware of the fact that Americans are constantly beset by visions of biblical figures in toasted food products.
Now, however, scientists say they’ve shed more light on how this happens in the first place, reported The Independent UK.
The phenomenon is known as facial pareidolia (pronounced pari-DOH-lee-a) and is a subset as apophenia – a general term that describes our tendency to see patterns in even random data. From shapes in clouds to monsters in shadows we’re all familiar with this experience, but the neural mechanisms underpinning are still mostly a mystery.
Now, a new study undertaken by Canadian and Chinese researchers has added further evidence to the theory that we just can’t help seeing faces in random data: we’re hard-wired to recognise human faces.
Using fMRI scanners to monitor brain activity in volunteers, neuroscientists identified the portions of the brain that consistently lit up when glimpsing facial stimuli. The research, published in the April issue of the journal cortex, identified the fusiform face area or FFA as key to this response.
It’s l long been known that the FFA is involved in recognizing faces, and some studies have also suggested that it helps us identify any sort of fine distinctions, from different letters to recognizing someone’s gender at a distance.
