Preference for Curvature: A Historical and Conceptual Framework

Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
Gerardo Gómez-PuertoMarcos Nadal

Abstract

That people find curved contours and lines more pleasurable than straight ones is a recurrent observation in the aesthetic literature. Although such observation has been tested sporadically throughout the history of scientific psychology, only during the last decade has it been the object of systematic research. Recent studies lend support to the idea that human preference for curved contours is biologically determined. However, it has also been argued that this preference is a cultural phenomenon. In this article, we review the available evidence, together with different attempts to explain the nature of preference for curvature: sensoriomotor-based and valuation-based approaches. We also argue that the lack of a unifying framework and clearly defined concepts might be undermining our efforts towards a better understanding of the nature of preference for curvature. Finally, we point to a series of unresolved matters as the starting point to further develop a consistent research program.

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Citations

Jul 28, 2016·Frontiers in Human Neuroscience·Branka SpeharRichard P Taylor
Dec 1, 2017·Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience·Anselm Brachmann, Christoph Redies
Dec 21, 2017·Attention, Perception & Psychophysics·Nora TuromanCharles Spence
Oct 17, 2018·Frontiers in Neuroscience·Maria GrebenkinaChristoph Redies
May 7, 2018·Vision·Alistair BurleighNicole Ruta
Apr 4, 2021·Behavioral Sciences·Paul J SilviaAlexander P Christensen
Oct 2, 2021·Scientific Reports·Claudia DamianoWilliam A Cunningham

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