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Positive fEMG Patterns with Ambiguity in Paintings.

ABSTRACT: Whereas ambiguity in everyday life is often negatively evaluated, it is considered key in art appreciation. In a facial EMG study, we tested whether the positive role of visual ambiguity in paintings is reflected in a continuous affective evaluation on a subtle level. We presented ambiguous (disfluent) and non-ambiguous (fluent) versions of Magritte paintings and found that M. Zygomaticus major activation was higher and M. corrugator supercilii activation was lower for ambiguous than for non-ambiguous versions. Our findings reflect a positive continuous affective evaluation to visual ambiguity in paintings over the 5 s presentation time. We claim that this finding is indirect evidence for the hypothesis that visual stimuli classified as art, evoke a safe state for indulging into experiencing ambiguity, challenging the notion that processing fluency is generally related to positive affect.

SUBMITTER: Jakesch M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5432603 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Positive fEMG Patterns with Ambiguity in Paintings.

Jakesch Martina M Goller Juergen J Leder Helmut H

Frontiers in psychology 20170516

Whereas ambiguity in everyday life is often negatively evaluated, it is considered key in art appreciation. In a facial EMG study, we tested whether the positive role of visual ambiguity in paintings is reflected in a continuous affective evaluation on a subtle level. We presented ambiguous (disfluent) and non-ambiguous (fluent) versions of Magritte paintings and found that <i>M. Zygomaticus major</i> activation was higher and <i>M. corrugator supercilii</i> activation was lower for ambiguous th ...[more]

PMID: 28559872

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