Aesthetics

What differentiates an “aesthetic experience” from “liking?” One possibility derives from the “evocative” nature of art, which suggests that personal memories are evoked during the viewing process of art. This proposal addresses how personal associations, compared to processing fluency (i.e., art that is “easy on the eyes”) and perceptual features (e.g., symmetry) contributes to more intense aesthetic experiences. Understanding the role that memory plays in aesthetic judgments not only provides empirical support for theoretical models in the psychology of aesthetics, but also contributes to ongoing discourse on the role of knowledge structures in perception and memory. 

Smith, A.P., Silvosa, S., De Brigard, F., Marsh, Elizabeth J. “Dissociating the Effects of Processing Fluency from Aesthetic Experience of Visual Art Viewing.” Cognitive Neuroscience Society, March 2023.

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