The dynamics of experiencing Gestalt and Aha in cubist art: pupil responses and art evaluations show a complex interplay of task, stimuli content, and time course
IntroductionGestalt perception refers to the cognitive ability to perceive various elements as a unified whole. In our study, we delve deeper into the phenomenon of Gestalt recognition in visual cubist art, a transformative process culminating in what is often described as an Aha moment. This Aha mo...
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| Format: | Article |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1192565/full |
| _version_ | 1797263456386154496 |
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| author | Blanca T. M. Spee Blanca T. M. Spee Blanca T. M. Spee Jozsef Arato Jan Mikuni Ulrich S. Tran Matthew Pelowski Matthew Pelowski Helmut Leder Helmut Leder |
| author_facet | Blanca T. M. Spee Blanca T. M. Spee Blanca T. M. Spee Jozsef Arato Jan Mikuni Ulrich S. Tran Matthew Pelowski Matthew Pelowski Helmut Leder Helmut Leder |
| author_sort | Blanca T. M. Spee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionGestalt perception refers to the cognitive ability to perceive various elements as a unified whole. In our study, we delve deeper into the phenomenon of Gestalt recognition in visual cubist art, a transformative process culminating in what is often described as an Aha moment. This Aha moment signifies a sudden understanding of what is seen, merging seemingly disparate elements into a coherent meaningful picture. The onset of this Aha moment can vary, either appearing almost instantaneously, which is in line with theories of hedonic fluency, or manifesting after a period of time, supporting the concept of delayed but more in-depth meaningful insight.MethodsWe employed pupillometry to measure cognitive and affective shifts during art interaction, analyzing both maximum pupil dilation and average dilation across the trial. The study consisted of two parts: in the first, 84 participants identified faces in cubist paintings under various conditions, with Aha moments and pupil dilation measured. In part 2, the same 84 participants assessed the artworks through ratings in a no-task free-viewing condition.ResultsResults of part 1 indicate a distinctive pattern of pupil dilation, with maximum dilation occurring at both trial onset and end. Longer response times were observed for high-fluent, face-present stimuli, aligning with a delayed but accurate Aha-moment through recognition. Additionally, the time of maximum pupil dilation, rather than average dilation, exhibited significant associations, being later for high-fluent, face-present stimuli and correct detections. In part 2, average, not the time of maximum pupil dilation emerged as the significant factor. Face-stimuli and highly accessible art evoked stronger dilations, also reflecting high clearness and negative valence ratings.DiscussionThe study underscores a complex relationship between the timing of recognition and the Aha moment, suggesting nuanced differences in emotional and cognitive responses during art viewing. Pupil dilation measures offer insight into these processes especially for moments of recognition, though their application in evaluating emotional responses through artwork ratings warrants further exploration. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-25T00:13:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4b1e1cee825f4176955fd4d89ea45b6d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-25T00:13:18Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-4b1e1cee825f4176955fd4d89ea45b6d2024-03-13T07:54:14ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782024-03-011510.3389/fpsyg.2024.11925651192565The dynamics of experiencing Gestalt and Aha in cubist art: pupil responses and art evaluations show a complex interplay of task, stimuli content, and time courseBlanca T. M. Spee0Blanca T. M. Spee1Blanca T. M. Spee2Jozsef Arato3Jan Mikuni4Ulrich S. Tran5Matthew Pelowski6Matthew Pelowski7Helmut Leder8Helmut Leder9Vienna Cognitive Science Hub, University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaDepartment of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaDepartment of Neurology, Center of Expertise for Parkinson & Movement Disorders, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Nijmegen, NetherlandsVienna Cognitive Science Hub, University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaVienna Cognitive Science Hub, University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaDepartment of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaVienna Cognitive Science Hub, University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaDepartment of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaVienna Cognitive Science Hub, University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaDepartment of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaIntroductionGestalt perception refers to the cognitive ability to perceive various elements as a unified whole. In our study, we delve deeper into the phenomenon of Gestalt recognition in visual cubist art, a transformative process culminating in what is often described as an Aha moment. This Aha moment signifies a sudden understanding of what is seen, merging seemingly disparate elements into a coherent meaningful picture. The onset of this Aha moment can vary, either appearing almost instantaneously, which is in line with theories of hedonic fluency, or manifesting after a period of time, supporting the concept of delayed but more in-depth meaningful insight.MethodsWe employed pupillometry to measure cognitive and affective shifts during art interaction, analyzing both maximum pupil dilation and average dilation across the trial. The study consisted of two parts: in the first, 84 participants identified faces in cubist paintings under various conditions, with Aha moments and pupil dilation measured. In part 2, the same 84 participants assessed the artworks through ratings in a no-task free-viewing condition.ResultsResults of part 1 indicate a distinctive pattern of pupil dilation, with maximum dilation occurring at both trial onset and end. Longer response times were observed for high-fluent, face-present stimuli, aligning with a delayed but accurate Aha-moment through recognition. Additionally, the time of maximum pupil dilation, rather than average dilation, exhibited significant associations, being later for high-fluent, face-present stimuli and correct detections. In part 2, average, not the time of maximum pupil dilation emerged as the significant factor. Face-stimuli and highly accessible art evoked stronger dilations, also reflecting high clearness and negative valence ratings.DiscussionThe study underscores a complex relationship between the timing of recognition and the Aha moment, suggesting nuanced differences in emotional and cognitive responses during art viewing. Pupil dilation measures offer insight into these processes especially for moments of recognition, though their application in evaluating emotional responses through artwork ratings warrants further exploration.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1192565/fullart researchpupillometryGestalt perceptionAha momentempirical art and aesthetics |
| spellingShingle | Blanca T. M. Spee Blanca T. M. Spee Blanca T. M. Spee Jozsef Arato Jan Mikuni Ulrich S. Tran Matthew Pelowski Matthew Pelowski Helmut Leder Helmut Leder The dynamics of experiencing Gestalt and Aha in cubist art: pupil responses and art evaluations show a complex interplay of task, stimuli content, and time course Frontiers in Psychology art research pupillometry Gestalt perception Aha moment empirical art and aesthetics |
| title | The dynamics of experiencing Gestalt and Aha in cubist art: pupil responses and art evaluations show a complex interplay of task, stimuli content, and time course |
| title_full | The dynamics of experiencing Gestalt and Aha in cubist art: pupil responses and art evaluations show a complex interplay of task, stimuli content, and time course |
| title_fullStr | The dynamics of experiencing Gestalt and Aha in cubist art: pupil responses and art evaluations show a complex interplay of task, stimuli content, and time course |
| title_full_unstemmed | The dynamics of experiencing Gestalt and Aha in cubist art: pupil responses and art evaluations show a complex interplay of task, stimuli content, and time course |
| title_short | The dynamics of experiencing Gestalt and Aha in cubist art: pupil responses and art evaluations show a complex interplay of task, stimuli content, and time course |
| title_sort | dynamics of experiencing gestalt and aha in cubist art pupil responses and art evaluations show a complex interplay of task stimuli content and time course |
| topic | art research pupillometry Gestalt perception Aha moment empirical art and aesthetics |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1192565/full |
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