People who see neither are described as more literal and practical. They tend to focus on what is directly observable and deal with problems as they arise. While this can make them reliable and straightforward, they may sometimes overlook possibilities that require imagination or unconventional thinking.

The illusion works through ambiguous figure perception, where the same visual information can support different interpretations. What someone notices first can be influenced by attention, expectations, mood, previous experiences, and familiarity with particular shapes.