Dataset Information

Aesthetic preference is related to organized complexity.

ABSTRACT: There is extensive evidence today linking exposure to natural environments to favorable changes in mental and even physical health. There is also a growing body of work indicating that there are specific geometric properties of natural scenes that mediate these effects, and that these properties can also be found in artificial structures like buildings, especially those designed before the emergence of modernism. These geometries are also associated with aesthetic preference-we seem to like what is good for us. Here, using a questionnaire-based survey, we have tried to elucidate some of the parameters that play a role in formulating a preference for one form over the other. The images used were nature scenes from the Alpine landscape with various manipulations to alter their complexity, or with additions of computer graphics or various buildings. In all cases, the presence of a natural scaling hierarchy and of either fractal graphics or of ornate, non-local pre-modern buildings was always preferable to the alternative. We discuss these findings under the light of recent evidence in the field and conclude that they support the idea of the existence of a preference of our perceptive system for certain types of visual organization.

SUBMITTER: Lavdas AA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7319303 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Aesthetic preference is related to organized complexity.

Lavdas Alexandros A AA Schirpke Uta U

PloS one 20200626 6

There is extensive evidence today linking exposure to natural environments to favorable changes in mental and even physical health. There is also a growing body of work indicating that there are specific geometric properties of natural scenes that mediate these effects, and that these properties can also be found in artificial structures like buildings, especially those designed before the emergence of modernism. These geometries are also associated with aesthetic preference-we seem to like what ...[more]

PMID: 32589641

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Project description:The interest in the response to contours has recently re-emerged, with various studies suggesting a universal preference for curved over angular stimuli. Although no consensus has yet been reached on the reasons for this preference, similar effects have been proposed in interior environments. However, the scarcely available research primarily depends on schematic or unmatched stimuli and faces heterogeneity in the reported results. In a within-subject design, we investigated the claimed contour effect in photo-realistic indoor environments using stimulus material previously tested in virtual reality (VR). A total of 198 online participants rated 20 living room images, exclusively manipulated on the contours (angular vs. curved) and style (modern vs. classic) levels. The scales represented aesthetic (beauty and liking) and stress (rest and stress) responses. Beyond our main focus on contours, we additionally examined style and sex effects to account for potential interactions. Results revealed a significant main effect of contours on both aesthetic (η2 g = 1-2%) and stress (η2 g = 8-12%) ratings. As expected, images of curved (vs. angular) contours scored higher on beauty, liking, and rest scales, and lower on stress. Regarding interactions with style, curvature was aesthetically preferred over angularity only within images depicting modern interiors, however, its positive effect on stress responses remained significant irrespective of style. Furthermore, we observed sex differences in aesthetic but not in stress evaluations, with curvature preference only found in participants who indicated female as their sex. In sum, our study primarily confirms positive effects of curvature, however, with multiple layers. First, the impact on aesthetic preference seems to be influenced by individual and contextual factors. Second, in terms of stress responses, which might be especially relevant for designs intended to promote mental-health, the consistent effects suggest a more generalizable, potentially biophilic characteristic of curves. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate these effects in fully-matched, photo-realistic, and multi-perspective interior design stimuli. From the background of a previous VR trial from our research group, whereby the same rooms did not elicit any differences, our findings propose that static vs. immersive presentations might yield different results in the response to contours.

Dataset Information

Aesthetic preference is related to organized complexity.

Publications

Aesthetic preference is related to organized complexity.

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