Familiarity and Novelty in Aesthetic Preference: The Effects of the Properties of the Artwork and the Beholder

Familiarity and novelty are fundamental yet competing factors influencing aesthetic preference. However, whether people prefer familiar paintings or novel paintings has not been clear. Using both behavioral and eye-tracking measures, the present study aimed to investigate whether the effect of famil...

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Main Authors: Jiwon Song, Yuna Kwak, Chai-Youn Kim
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2021-07-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.694927/full
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author Jiwon Song
Yuna Kwak
Chai-Youn Kim
author_facet Jiwon Song
Yuna Kwak
Chai-Youn Kim
author_sort Jiwon Song
collection DOAJ
description Familiarity and novelty are fundamental yet competing factors influencing aesthetic preference. However, whether people prefer familiar paintings or novel paintings has not been clear. Using both behavioral and eye-tracking measures, the present study aimed to investigate whether the effect of familiarity-novelty on aesthetic preference is independent or dependent on artwork properties (painting content, visual complexity) and viewer characteristics (experience in art). Participants were presented with two images of paintings, one of which was repeatedly presented but was always paired with a new painting in a randomized lateral arrangement. They were asked to indicate which of the two images they preferred with the degree of their preference. Behavioral results demonstrated an interactive influence of painting content and complexity on familiarity-novelty preference, especially alongside the distinction between representational and abstract paintings. Also, the familiarity-novelty preference was modulated by the degree of art experience, for abstract paintings in particular. Gaze results showed the differential effects of painting content, complexity, and art experience echoing the behavioral results. Taken together, the convergent results derived from behavioral and eye-tracking measures imply that novelty is an important feature of aesthetic appreciation, but its influence is modulated by properties of both the artwork and the beholder.
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spelling doaj.art-f056f2ca14f646818bea403671dc08532022-12-21T22:45:36ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782021-07-011210.3389/fpsyg.2021.694927694927Familiarity and Novelty in Aesthetic Preference: The Effects of the Properties of the Artwork and the BeholderJiwon SongYuna KwakChai-Youn KimFamiliarity and novelty are fundamental yet competing factors influencing aesthetic preference. However, whether people prefer familiar paintings or novel paintings has not been clear. Using both behavioral and eye-tracking measures, the present study aimed to investigate whether the effect of familiarity-novelty on aesthetic preference is independent or dependent on artwork properties (painting content, visual complexity) and viewer characteristics (experience in art). Participants were presented with two images of paintings, one of which was repeatedly presented but was always paired with a new painting in a randomized lateral arrangement. They were asked to indicate which of the two images they preferred with the degree of their preference. Behavioral results demonstrated an interactive influence of painting content and complexity on familiarity-novelty preference, especially alongside the distinction between representational and abstract paintings. Also, the familiarity-novelty preference was modulated by the degree of art experience, for abstract paintings in particular. Gaze results showed the differential effects of painting content, complexity, and art experience echoing the behavioral results. Taken together, the convergent results derived from behavioral and eye-tracking measures imply that novelty is an important feature of aesthetic appreciation, but its influence is modulated by properties of both the artwork and the beholder.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.694927/fullpreferencepaintingsfamiliaritynoveltycontentvisual complexity
spellingShingle Jiwon Song
Yuna Kwak
Chai-Youn Kim
Familiarity and Novelty in Aesthetic Preference: The Effects of the Properties of the Artwork and the Beholder
Frontiers in Psychology
preference
paintings
familiarity
novelty
content
visual complexity
title Familiarity and Novelty in Aesthetic Preference: The Effects of the Properties of the Artwork and the Beholder
title_full Familiarity and Novelty in Aesthetic Preference: The Effects of the Properties of the Artwork and the Beholder
title_fullStr Familiarity and Novelty in Aesthetic Preference: The Effects of the Properties of the Artwork and the Beholder
title_full_unstemmed Familiarity and Novelty in Aesthetic Preference: The Effects of the Properties of the Artwork and the Beholder
title_short Familiarity and Novelty in Aesthetic Preference: The Effects of the Properties of the Artwork and the Beholder
title_sort familiarity and novelty in aesthetic preference the effects of the properties of the artwork and the beholder
topic preference
paintings
familiarity
novelty
content
visual complexity
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.694927/full
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AT chaiyounkim familiarityandnoveltyinaestheticpreferencetheeffectsofthepropertiesoftheartworkandthebeholder