Cognitive basis for the development of aesthetic preference: Findings from symmetry preference

Abstract

Where is the visual aesthetic preference rooted from and what's its relationship with the perceptual preference that is emerging early? Do young children naturally prefer some visual stimuli or do they learn to appreciate visual stimuli for aesthetic pleasure? Here, for young preschool children who are on the age that the preferences are developing, we provide findings from a study to show that the interplay between early emerging perceptual sensitivity and perceptual exposure promotes the emergence of preschool children's aesthetic preferences for simple visual patterns. Specifically in the experiments, 4-year-old children were exposed to either symmetric or asymmetric non-figurative forms in a perceptually demanding game; the group of children who received exposure to symmetric patterns showed aesthetic preference to the exposed patterns, while no preference was found in the group that received exposure to asymmetric patterns. The following recognition test then showed that the symmetric objects were differentiated better and remembered more clearly by the children, indicating that the symmetry was perceptually encoded better. These findings suggest that the early emerging perceptual sensitivity to 'good features' such as symmetry provides the prior cognitive prerequisites, allowing visual perceptual exposure to nourish the eventual formation of aesthetic preference. Thus, the preferences for aesthetic appreciation are likely the outcome of the interplay between biological and ecological adaptation.

The Aesthetic Responsiveness Assessment (AReA) in Farsi language: A scale validation and cultural adaptation study.

“…Conversely, aesthetic taste for cultural artifacts such as artworks and architecture tends to be highly idiosyncratic (Leder et al, 2016; Schepman et al, 2015; Vessel et al, 2018). What cultural artifacts people find appealing are affected by life experience and learning (Germine et al, 2015; Huang et al, 2020; Rodway et al, 2016; Wilmer et al, 2013), by personality (Silvia & Nusbaum, 2011), and by expertise (Christensen & Calvo-Merino, 2013; Leder et al, 2019; Weichselbaum et al, 2018). It is not surprising that cultural differences have also been shown to affect aesthetic preferences.…”

When symmetric and curved visual contour meet intentional instructions: Hedonic value and preference

“…Likewise, Pavlović and Marković (2012) argued that the IAT effects reveal basic hedonic reactions on which, at least partially, the aesthetic assessments are based on. Overall, the evidence suggests that, although different evaluative judgements stem from a common hedonic value, they additionally engage different cognitive processes to different extent (Huang et al, 2020; Leder & Nadal, 2014; Miller & Hübner, 2020).…”

Features Of Aesthetic Objects Perception In The Process Of Art Disciplines Studying

“…The choice of a different format affects on development of compositional perception. A small image (in the form of a 10x10 cm postcard) makes you look more closely at the object and admire it (Huang et al, 2020).…”