A simple visual game, shared massively on social networks according to the Daily Mailpromises to tell your mental age in seconds. The principle seems childish: count animals, then compare your result to an age scale. Behind this entertainment, a real intriguing subject: why does our mind not always feel the same age as our body, and what does our way of looking at an image reveal?
This famous hidden animal test is based on a catchy idea: the number of animals you count reveals your mental age. The image contains between 4 and 7 dogs and each total corresponds to a very specific mental age range. The following lines decipher this scale, but also what it really says about your way of seeing the world.
How the number of animals seen in the image is supposed to give your mental age
To do the test, simply look at the illustration filled with dogs without zooming in at first, then quietly count all the distinct animals you spot. According to Optometry Today, most people see between 4 and 7. 4 animals are associated with a mental age of 20 to 25 years, 5 animals with 25 to 30 years, 6 animals with 30 to 40 years, and 7 animals with 10 to 20 years.
The more animals you spot, the younger and more playful your mind would be. However, this direct link between number of dogs and mental age has never been validated by a serious study. The score also depends on your patience, the light, your fatigue or even your habit of optical illusions, which can vary the result from one test to another.
What this animal test mainly reveals about your way of seeing
This type of test shows above all that our inner age does not always follow our biological age recorded on the identity card. Perceptual psychologists explain that these illusions play on the way our brain separates figure from background and filters details. Some eyes quickly catch the main contours, others explore every corner, and this visual style can give the impression of a younger or more calm mind.
Let us also recall the principle of the Barnum effect: very general descriptions often appear surprisingly precise. The profiles associated with each mental age group therefore remain deliberately flattering, whether it is the creative person aged 20 to 25, the calm person aged 30 to 40 or the teenager in his head aged 10 to 20. The test speaks to many people because everyone can relate to it a little.
Mental age and animals: how to benefit from the test without taking it literally
However, remember that this is a popular psychology game, not a diagnostic tool. The result can still serve as a small mirror: if your mental age appears very young, you may retain a spontaneous and playful side; if it comes out higher, you probably feel more cautious, more realistic, which is no less valuable.