A new study has found that mask-wearing can make it more difficult to recognize masked and unmasked faces of others. The study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, found that participants who were asked to wear a mask while looking at faces were less able to recognize both masked and unmasked faces than those who were not wearing a mask.
The study’s authors say that the findings have implications for public health, as they suggest that mask-wearing could make it more difficult for people to identify others who may be carrying a disease. The authors say that the findings also have implications for security, as they suggest that mask-wearing could make it more difficult for people to identify others who may be carrying a weapon.
The study’s authors say that more research is needed to understand the exact implications of the findings.
The use of masks has been shown to have a number of benefits in terms of reducing the spread of respiratory viruses. However, a new study has found that masks may also have a negative impact on social interactions, as they can make it more difficult to identify both masked and unmasked faces.
The study, conducted by researchers at the University of York, found that when participants were shown images of faces either wearing a mask or not wearing a mask, they were less able to correctly identify the masked faces. This was especially true when the faces were shown for a brief period of time.
The findings suggest that mask-wearing can have a negative impact on social interactions, as it can make it more difficult to read facial expressions and identify people. This is likely to be a particularly issue in situations where people are wearing masks for long periods of time, such as in healthcare settings.
While the use of masks is clearly important for reducing the spread of respiratory viruses, the findings of this study highlight the need to consider the potential negative impacts of mask-wearing on social interactions. In particular, efforts should be made to minimize the length of time that people are required to wear masks, and to ensure that people are still able to see each other’s faces as much as possible.
