Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Psychology 101



These last couple of weeks, there's been a fair few coach loads of kids about. AS-level students, GSCE students etc and the university often runs Masterclasses for the various subjects, trying to get give the kids an informed choice and to make them come to the University of Hull when they finish school. Dave and I have been roped into this twice now, once for 20 17-yr olds and just this morning for 100 15 year olds. Both times, it went well. I spoke a bit about Gestalt psychology (which came out of Germany in the 30s at the same time as Nazism so unfairly, wasn't all that fashionable for a few years after the war). Anyhow, it gave me an excuse to dig out a few of the psychology "classics": these two pictures included. The first is the good old Rabbit/Duck picture. The second however, caused a few problems with some of the lads in this mornings session. There is a gender difference in this second one as men have evolutionary reason to spot younger women, but not older ones. There was two lads this morning who could *NOT* see the older woman at all. Not without myself - and several of their friends trying to point the older face out for the best part of two minutes. When the penny finally dropped, it was brilliant. "OOOOOOH!" :)

4 comments:

Jase said...

Yeah, the rabbit and the young woman are easy to spot.
The duck came quickly, but the old woman took some work!

Anonymous said...

It's no good I just can't see the old woman. I've stared at the picture so long I can see all sorts of other quite disturbing images (giant roaring alien tiger anyone?) but no old woman. I think that evolution thing you mentioned is a lot stronger in me atm, I want a girlfriend so badly my brain is blinding me to anyone too old to be making the double backed beastie.

Oh, I think this is my very first comment ever on a blog! Sally is going to be peeved it wasn't on hers, sorry babe.

GF said...

I'd never seen the dabbit (or should that be ruck?) before, but was easy to spot.

I remember being a kid and seeing the young / old lady example. At the time it was easy to spot both, but that was before my hormones had kicked I wonder if I'd have been different at 14....

James said...

Hi Geoff - good to see you, mate. Yep, Sally is on the warpath... ;-) If you'd like to try the old woman photo again, try putting your hand over it, and then slowly moving your hand upwards so that you first reveal her black coat, then the mouth/chin and then the underside of her nose. That should do the trick??

Let me know if it works!