Your Narcissism Is Determined by the Number of Circles You Observe: Investigating Optical Illusions
Optical illusions have long fascinated psychologists and the public alike, but a recent study suggests they may reveal more than just how your brain processes visuals—they might even hint at your personality traits, including narcissism.
Researchers asked participants to examine a series of abstract images, including one particularly intriguing pattern filled with overlapping circles. The number of circles each person reported seeing correlated surprisingly well with certain personality characteristics, especially traits linked to narcissism.
Dr. Laura Simmons, lead psychologist on the study, explained: “People who reported seeing a higher number of circles tended to display higher levels of self-focus and egocentric thinking in our personality assessments. While this isn’t a definitive test for narcissism, it does highlight how subtle perceptual tendencies can be connected to deeper psychological patterns.”
Why would the number of circles you see matter? Experts suggest it may come down to attention and cognitive focus. Individuals with narcissistic tendencies often exhibit heightened self-awareness and a unique pattern of visual attention, which may make them more likely to notice subtle or overlapping details in complex images.
Interestingly, the study also revealed that this effect was less pronounced with simple images, indicating that the connection between perception and personality emerges mainly in situations requiring deeper observation and interpretation.
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