INTRODUCTION: Metaphoric signs, which refer to a resemblance to something absent, are, like pareidolia, strong cognitive tools that help us understand abstract concepts by relating them to concrete, sensory experiences, and these have not been studied in student pilots. Evaluating the characteristics of students in aviation, including sensory experiences such as stress, decision-making, and pattern recognition, is important for safe flight. This study aims to investigate the cognitive and emotional impacts of face pareidolia among pilot students by using the digital Pareidolia Test (PT).

METHODS: Subjects were 86 students from the Professional Pilot B.Sc. Program. PT includes 10 face and 10 pareidolia images. The number of European Aviation Safety Agency flight and simulator training hours, stress levels, and perceiving emotion in the pareidolia and face images were assessed using a self-report questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to test normality, and the Chi-squared test was used to analyze differences.

RESULTS: Results indicated significant differences in perceiving emotion in facial images based on stress levels from flight training from faculty courses (N = 42/86, 49.9%), and perceiving faces in pareidolia images related to flight simulator training hours. Perceiving emotions in pareidolia images varied significantly based on the number of European Aviation Safety Agency tests, but perceiving faces on pareidolia images did not show significant differences.

DISCUSSION: We claim that incorporating pareidolia in aviation training enhances pilots’ pattern recognition abilities, facilitating more accurate decision-making. The research recommends using the new digital PT in professions that require attention, such as pilots, to evaluate these parameters.

Akdeniz G, Yilmaz HE, Geza H. Cognitive and emotional impacts of face pareidolia application among pilot students. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2025; 96(1):18–22.