Another account is the fluency hypothesis by Reber, Schwarz, and Winkielman (2004), stating that symmetry is preferred because it can be processed easier and more fluently, comprising both speed and accuracy ( Reber, Wurtz, & Zimmermann, 2004), compared with the processing of asymmetry. For instance, face or body symmetry, as indicating good genes, might be an indicator of the quality of a possible mating partner ( Møller, 1992).
Because of its ubiquity, symmetry preference is usually attributed to evolutionary adaptation (cf. They extend to the evaluation of human faces ( Cárdenas & Harris, 2006 Halberstadt & Rhodes, 2003) and dynamic stimuli ( Wright & Bertamini, 2015) and can be found in animals as well (e.g., Swaddle & Cuthill, 1994). Symmetry preferences are not only found for patterns. It is the best predictor of preferences for abstract patterns ( Jacobsen & Höfel, 2002), and even a small deviation in symmetry diminishes the appreciation of a visual pattern ( Gartus & Leder, 2013). Indeed, in line with theoretical speculations, empirical research has shown that symmetry plays a role for the aesthetic experience of an object or image ( Leder, Belke, Oeberst, & Augustin, 2004). This is also the most frequently investigated form of symmetry ( Treder, 2010). Weyl’s statement concerned bilateral symmetry, which is the reflection of one half of an image on an imagined straight line (cf. For example, the philosopher and mathematician Hermann Weyl (1952) concluded, “Beauty is bound up with symmetry” (p. Darvas, 2003 McManus, 2005), we examined the proposition that asymmetry has a better standing with art history experts than art nonexperts.įor a long time, beauty has been believed to be connected to symmetry. Based on theoretical considerations on art history (cf. By means of the following study, we tested the generality of this preference. Visual symmetry has long been known to be preferred over asymmetry (e.g., Hubbell, 1940 Pecchinenda, Bertamini, Makin, & Ruta, 2014 Treder, 2010). Evolutionary adaptation might play a role in symmetry preferences for art experts similarly to nonexperts, but experts tend to emphasize the beauty of asymmetrical depictions, eventually considering different criteria, when asked explicitly to indicate their preferences. The results are discussed in light of different theories on the origins of symmetry preference. In contrast, the explicit rating scale showed that with higher art expertise, the ratings for the beauty of asymmetrical patterns significantly increased, but, again, participants preferred symmetrical over asymmetrical patterns. In the IAT, art expertise did not alter the preference for symmetrical over asymmetrical patterns. Art expertise was measured using a questionnaire. Participants were art history and psychology students. The preference for symmetrical versus asymmetrical abstract patterns was measured implicitly, by an Implicit Association Test (IAT), and explicitly, by a rating scale asking participants to evaluate pattern beauty. To address this question, we tested the generality of the symmetry preference for different levels of individual art expertise. Yet, little is known about differences in symmetry preferences depending on individuals’ different past histories of actively reflecting upon pictures and patterns. In perception, humans typically prefer symmetrical over asymmetrical patterns.
0 kommentar(er)
