Allegorically, viewing the world through a rose-colored lens presents beauty and filters impurities. Now, new research suggests that our moods can in fact change the way in which we view the world.
The University of Toronto study provides the first direct evidence that our mood literally changes the way our visual system filters our perceptual experience suggesting that seeing the world through rose-colored glasses is more biological reality than metaphor.
“Good and bad moods literally change the way our visual cortex operates and how we see,” says Adam Anderson, a U of T professor of psychology.
“Specifically our study shows that when in a positive mood, our visual cortex takes in more information, while negative moods result in tunnel vision.”
View the World Through Rose-Colored Glasses
By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News EditorReviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on June 5, 2009
