How do we perceive ourselves? What is the map that we use to view ourselves? Well, its like what no other camera sees: its a mirror, in your bathroom, at arms length. Thats a very personal view; youre the only person that has this view in the world. Whenever somebody takes a photo of you it does not match [your personal, mirror view]. So my theory — though Im not a scientist, Im just a photographer — is that when we see a photograph of ourselves, it looks almost right but not quite, and so therefore we feel a big sense of rejection. Is the theory right or not? Well see. Maybe somebody will test it. Well, it turns out somebody did test it, all the way back in 1977. In a study titled Reversed Facial Images and the Mere-Exposure Hypothesis, psychologists Theodore H. Mita, Marshall Dermer and Jeffrey Knight demonstrate that individuals will prefer a facial photograph that corresponds to their mirror image rather than to their true image. But whats really interesting about the study is its exploration of why we find our mirror images more appealing. As the title of the study suggests, it relates to something called the mere-exposure effect. The mere-exposure effect was first proposed in the 60s by Stanford psychologist Robert Zajonc. In its simplest terms, the mere-exposure effect is a psychological phenomenon whereby a person develops a preference for a stimulus based solely on his or her repeated exposure to (and subsequent familiarity with) it. The effect has been demonstrated with an array of stimuli (words, paintings, sounds) and across cultures. Its even been observed in other species. So when someone says that the reason we hate seeing photos of ourselves is mirrors, understand that what they should be blaming is the mere-exposure effect. Of course, the great thing about the mere-exposure effect is that its dependent upon individual experience—and thats something you should take comfort in the next time youre lamenting over your slightly-off appearance in a photograph. The truth is, if photograph-you looked like mirror-image you, everyone else would think you look bizarre. Remember the researchers who showed a person is more likely to prefer a facial photograph that corresponds to their mirror image, rather than their true image? They also demonstrated that the opposite was true when the images were shown to the persons friends. In other words: dont even worry about it. Photograph-you looks great.
Posted on: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 04:36:35 +0000