Can you recognize the shape in figure 7.33? When a figure is complex and
consists of subparts, you must adjust for the orientation of each part separately
(Rock, 1986). So, while you rotate one part to its proper orientation, other parts
are still perceived as unrotated. Look at the two upside-down pictures of Rus-
sian leader Boris Yeltsin in figure 7.34. You can probably tell that one of them
has been altered slightly around the eyes and mouth, but the two pictures look
pretty similar. Now turn the book upside down and look again. The same pic-
tures look extraordinarily different now. One is still Boris Yeltsin, but the other
is a ghoulish monster that not even his mother could love! Your failure to see
that obvious difference before turning the book upside down may be due to
your inability to rotate all of the parts of the face at the same time. It is also a
Figure 7.33
Africa rotated 90 degrees.
Figure 7.34
Which of these portraits might express Boris Yeltsin’s feelings after hearing bad news about the
Russian economy?
Perception 175