Is TheDress Blue or Gold? The Psychology of Perception | Brian Kinghorn | TEDxOshkosh

In 2015 a random photo of a black and blue dress sparked an international phenomenon and debate that is still causing conflict today. In less than two days the Washington Post dubbed it the “drama that divided a planet”. Why had something that started so simply, made such a lasting impact on our collective psyches? It started with perception. The world seemed divided into two camps: those who saw it as white and gold and those who saw it as black and blue.


Most explanations of TheDress focus on the physiology of why people visually perceive the dress differently. Building on these ideas, this talk proposes the reason the photograph was such a viral phenomenon was related to egos. That dress photo may be very unsettling because it suggests the possibility that two people can be looking at the same picture on the same screen in the same room and one of them will see it as white and gold while the other will see it as blue and black; AND they both believe they are absolutely telling the truth about what they are seeing.


TheDress is a very real and very powerful indicator that what we perceive may not be reality or that our realities may be different from other individuals’ realities because of how we perceive the world around us. Faced with THAT reality; the recognition that others truly do see the world so differently than we do can help us to work together. Even if we never do see things from their point of view, let’s step back, take a breath, and try to meet them where they are.


Brian Kinghorn is an Associate Professor of Curriculum, Instruction and Foundations at Marshall University. He has taught various psychology and education courses including developing and teaching a psychology of social media course. His areas of research include ways teachers learn science from their own teaching practice, methods for effective teaching, and the psychology of social media.

Brian earned his PhD in Educational Psychology and Educational Technology from Michigan State University & his bachelor's in psychology from Brigham Young University-Hawaii. He has published articles in Teacher Education & Practice, the APS Observer magazine, the APA’s Amplifier magazine, and The Conversation. He has presented research at meetings of the American Educational Researchers Association, the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, Division 15 of the American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science, and the National Science Teachers Assoc.. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx