Is it clockwise or anticlockwise? Study debunks Silhouette Illusion myth

WASHINGTON - Most of us are familiar with the Silhouette Illusion, which appears to some as spinning clockwise and anticlockwise to others - now a new study debunks a common myth associated with this illusion.

Earlier studies have claimed that the spin direction of the illusion is based on whether viewers are left or right-brained or is dependent on their personalities, but Queen’s Niko Troje believes it’s all about the angle at which the viewer is seeing the image.

“It’s a perceptual bias. It makes sense to assume that we are looking down onto objects that are located on the ground below us rather than floating in the air above us,” said Troje.

The study participants who were shown the illusion most often reported that the woman was spinning counter-clockwise if viewed from above, and clockwise if viewed from below.

The theory can also be applied to other popular illusions, including Neckar Cubes that are often used in online personality tests. (ANI)